208 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLESHIRE 



they are out of sight. As a consequence, the 

 birds a long way ahead become on the alert, 

 and often have grasped the fact that a drive 

 is going on in time to give mature considera- 

 tion to their safest line of flight. Probably, 

 however, if your sense of humour is keen, you 

 may derive so much amusement from the per- 

 formance of your ill-disciplined assistants as 

 will compensate you for the loss of a certain 

 amount of sport. 



It is well to be prepared for all weathers, 

 more especially for extremes of cold and heat. 

 A good warm cape, which can be easily thrown 

 off when the birds begin to come, is an almost 

 indispensable requisite ; and a good tweed is 

 preferable to a waterproof, and will turn almost 

 as much wet. It is a risky thing to sit facing 

 a bleak north-easter or a West Highland shower 

 in thin garments, after you have heated yourself 

 with a climb, often long and severe, to get from 

 one set of butts to another. I tliink I have 

 been colder out driving than when pursuing any 

 other form of sport. Spring fishing on the Tay, 

 or waiting for the mist to clear in an exposed 

 place in a deer-forest, are chilly proceedings, 

 but a snowstorm in November accompanied by 

 a cold squall is also a very effective method of 

 reducing the temperature. One sportsman, a 

 member of Parliament, was guilty of the heinous 

 crime of lighting a fire in his butt and going 



