LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 113 



could only have been brought to the captive by 

 other eagles — an almost unique instance, I think, of 

 sagacious affection on the part of his comrades, and one 

 which appealed to the hearts of us all. It was a splendid 

 full-grown bird, whose melancholy end caused Sir Robert 

 much regret ; for, by the wish of Lord Dalhousie, from 

 whom the forest was rented, every effort was made to 

 preserve these beautiful birds, so rapidly becoming extinct 

 — a wish in which his tenant most heartily joined, while 

 taking every possible care to have it carried out. 



At our grouse drive on the 20th I drew rather too 

 good a place and got peppered at pretty close quarters, 

 just thirteen pellets of No. 6 shot being lodged in head, 

 face and neck, so I can speak with feeling confidence of 

 the penetration of Purdey's guns. The sensation of 

 being struck by many shot at close quarters is a 

 peculiar one and more stunning than painful, and putting 

 me in mind of a very heavy box on the ear, for a 

 perfect knowledge of which feeling at the early age of 

 eleven I was indebted to the Reverend Joseph Newton, 

 at one time a master at Brighton College. Perhaps I 



