GROUSE-SHOOTING IN MAYO 



cumvented these wily robbers, and how, by choosing 

 his time and lying in ambush, he had occasionally the 

 extravagant pleasure of stretching one with his trusty 

 breechloader ''shtiff dead," as he expressed it. It 

 was interesting, too, to hear that upon lower ground 

 these foxes are just as much tormented by midges 

 during the hot days of summer and autumn as are 

 human beings. 



Resuming our way, we presently topped a high 

 shoulder of Nephin Beg, and then came suddenly on 

 a most magnificent prospect. Far in front of us, out 

 to sea, rose the mountains of Achill Island, Slievemore 

 standing up with special prominence. Blacksod Bay, 

 here and there dotted by a small islet, stretched in front 

 of us blue towards the Atlantic. Turning in the other 

 direction and looking inland, the eye ranged over the 

 flat boglands beyond the mountains to the great waters 

 of Lough Conn, and far beyond, even to the shores 

 of Killala Bay and the Ox mountains of distant 

 Sligo. It was an entrancing prospect turn where one 

 would. 



Quitting with regret this magnificent panorama, we 

 descended to a somewhat lower altitude, and presently 

 found ourselves on a dry, heathery neck of the moun- 

 tains, where Lawn, one of the red setters, was soon 

 feathering about briskly. In a few minutes the dog 

 stood like a rock. I moved forward and a good covey of 

 grouse rose within easy distance. I brought off an easy 

 shot with the first barrel, and missed rather disgrace- 

 fully with the second. We picked up the dead bird 

 and prepared to move on, but Lawn, nosing about 

 carefully, seemed convinced that another bird re- 

 mained behind, and, surely enough, once more the 

 staunch setter stood at point. After some little diffi- 

 culty, for the bird lay like a stone, we finally induced 



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