MANAGEMENT OF MOORS 73 



each other again, all the way down the slope of 

 the valley. 



Meanwhile the grey sky cleared and the sun 

 came out, and the cool hill air gradually warmed. 

 With the sunshine came a million insects, and 

 there was a low drowsy hum of life all over the 

 moors. Higher and higher mounted the sun till 

 all the clouds but the littlest and whitest were 

 driven away, and a heat haze quivered above the 

 distant slopes. 



" Bang ! " — and then " bang— bang ! bang — 

 bang ! " — all very faint and far away. The covey 

 stopped suddenly, the young ones lowered their 

 heads, and the Old Cock raised his. 



" They are coining ! " said he. They all 

 listened, but for some time there was not a sound 

 but the sleepy hum of the heather folk. Then 

 again, more faintly — " bang — bang— bang ! " 



" They are going away from us," said the 

 mother grouse. 



" That's a pity," replied the Old Cock, with a 

 great air of valiant indifference. 



" Yes, isn't it ? " asserted the oldest cheeper. 

 He had broken his egg fully a quarter of an hour 

 before any of his brothers and sisters, and ever 

 since had shown a very fine heir-presumptive 

 spirit. 



All through the quiet morning they heard the 

 distant guns, till at last they grew quite used to 

 them, and as they always sounded far away, the 

 young cocks became almost aggressively cour- 



