J, 

 CHASING THE ROE 53 



tive pipe before the flight of three or four black- 

 game and a late woodcock heralds the approach 

 of the keepers with terriers, retriever, and two 

 of the hounds coupled up. They report progress : 

 another buck has been killed, and the other 

 two hounds are away after a big one which has 

 taken right across the moss to Baltimore. Pro- 

 bably they will have lost him when he crossed 

 the river, and will be coming back by this time. 

 Donald is off after them with orders to meet 

 them at the far end of the wood near Dunadd, 

 and they are going round there to hunt the 

 covert back this way. They will not let the re- 

 maining hounds go unless a fair buck is started, 

 as we are short-handed as it is, and cannot afford 

 to lose any more time after does and small trash. 



So the day passes with varied incident, and 

 when we make our way to the road at about 

 half-past four, we have got altogether four bucks 

 and a good yeld doe, the latter of which fell 

 to the shot-gun of the youngest of the party, 

 who had been stationed near the edge of a young 

 plantation of firs, with orders to kill anything 

 he could, as they were " doing mischief" there. 

 A good bag, but nothing to compare with those 

 of thirty years ago, when the roe literally swarmed 

 in all the natural woods round the canal. Then, 

 however, they were greatly encouraged and pre- 

 served for the benefit of the lady of Poltalloch, 

 who was a most deadly shot with a pea-rifle, 



