158 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



surmounted the obstacle, when he tenderly conveys 

 her to the ground. 



She is quite conscious of the great esteem in 

 which she is held, and imposes upon her good- 

 natured owner accordingly. When the time came 

 for her to have her portrait taken along with her 

 master and their day's bag, she obstinately refused 

 to sit until a piece of warm dry carpet had been 

 provided for her especial accommodation and com- 

 fort. The old man explained her conduct just as 

 if he had been talking about his wife. She had 

 been suddenly woke up from a sound sleep, and 

 was indulging in a bit of temper on account of 

 not being allowed to finish her nap. 



The lessee of the surrounding moor has tried 

 many more or less ingenious devices to spoil the 

 old fellow's sport and reduce his plunder, but with 

 little success. A brace of tethered Falcons, so placed 

 as to scare the Grouse away from his bit of freehold, 

 came within legal reach of his gun and perished; 

 a number of flags erected all round mysteriously 

 disappeared one dark night; and a wooden hut, 

 built for the accommodation of a couple of watchers, 

 accidentally caught fire whilst its occupiers were 

 supping of sociability at some farm-house in the 

 valley below. 



Of course, it is not illegal to snare or net Grouse, 

 however unsportsmanlike it may be considered, pro- 

 vided the man who does so is upon land where he 

 has the necessary right to do so, and is armed with 

 a licence to kill game ; but he must take all his 

 snares up on Saturday night, as the law resents 

 the Sabbath being broken by profane bits of wire 

 hanging about like round O's amongst the heather. 

 Our old friend was caught napping in this direction 

 last year, and was fined for his wickedness. 



