76 THE GROUSE 



steps and coming up to the black -and-tan. They 

 could see not a single thing moving in the heather 

 before them, but all the time the little brown 

 people were scurrying through the maze of by- 

 paths that no human eye can discern, bending so 

 that they were flat from tail to crown, stopping 

 sometimes under the shelter of a tuft where you 

 might have walked over them and been none the 

 wiser, and then following the Old Cock on again. 

 Each time they paused he had some fresh direc- 

 tions to give them. Now it was — " Keep to your 

 right; the man in the brown coat is safe enough, 

 but whatever you do, steer clear of White-gaiters. 

 You're as good as cooked if he shoots ! " and then 

 — " Remember to rise all together, all together, 

 cheepers ! " " They'd never let their poor old 

 father have the six barrels all to himself ! " he 

 reflected a little apprehensively. " I must say 

 that at my time of life I like to know there's a 

 good thick covey behind me. 11 



He led them artfully down into the valley of 

 the burn. All the time the black-and-tan nose 

 was drawing closer upon them, and they could 

 hear the brushing of heavy boots through the 

 heather. 



" Now," said the Old Cock to himself, " White- 

 gaiters is lowest. If we get up over the top, he 

 can't shoot." 



Up they doubled again. The young dog was 

 over the scent, but the white nose behind held 

 true. The shooters turned up too. The hind- 



