LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 201 



two very bright, hot, still days we got but seven trout, 

 the largest of which was 3^ lbs., and the smallest 1 lb. 

 The thick growth of weeds and the lowness of the loch 

 were much against us, and we were unavoidably broken 

 several times. 



August 12th saw me again at Raehills with John 

 Hope Johnstone, Captain Gordon Hughes being the 

 other guest. There had been nearly incessant rain 

 from the commencement of the month, and thus we 

 found the grouse very, very wild, and in nine days 

 the bag only reached a total of 394 head, of which 

 376 were grouse. 



As usual, the 1st of September found me at Balls 

 Park, where sport was much the same as before. Harold 

 Finch Hatton was again one of the party, and on the 

 evening of his arrival my daughter, aged twelve, came 

 rushing to my room, and excitedly asked me to come 

 on to the lawn, as a gentleman had just arrived who 

 * * was throwing a bit of wood into the air, which turned 

 into a bird and flew round the house." Unable to 

 understand what was going on, I was di'agged to the 



