112 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLLSHIRE 



bottles out of the shallows of the Serpentine, he 

 could hardly recover the dredge, which is now 

 rapidly nearing the bottom, at a depth of about 

 thirty fathoms. The men settle to their oars, as 

 there is not breeze enough in this sheltered place 

 to-day to make it worth while to set the sail ; and 

 at all times it is difficult to go too slow when 

 dredging. It is hard work while it lasts, but it 

 will not last long, as the net is sure to be full 

 of something before it has gone over more than 

 twenty-five yards of the bottom. 



One hand on the rope, just to see that it is 

 keeping on the bottom, and that it does not come 

 to an anchor on some inconvenient boulder, and 

 there is time to look about. There seems to be 

 an unusual commotion in the neighbourhood of 

 the narrow promontory of Macaskan, just opposite, 

 and all the cattle are collected on the shore. All 

 no, not all ; for now we can see what is going 

 on a line of men and dogs is gathering them 

 there, no doubt to drive them into the sea to swim 

 across the half-mile of water which separates them 

 from the mainland, a first stage on their journey 

 to Falkirk Tryst. What a scene of life and 

 animation ! What shouts of men, what bark- 

 ing of collies ! What excitement as one great 

 stupid beautiful beast breaks away again and 

 again, carrying with him, by the force of bad 

 example, two or three of his more docile com- 

 panions, to be headed back again and again by 



