214 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLESHIRE 



and two gillies are waiting with an old steady 

 pointer and York, the antediluvian retriever. 

 We take our guns at once ; for there are a couple 

 of fields of scanty turnips and potatoes between 

 the moss and the burn, where we may find a 

 covey of partridges to vary the bag. We mean 

 to get at least eight sorts of game to-day ; and, 

 if lucky, we may easily do better, for I have often 

 seen many more than that number of varieties on 

 the ground we are to traverse in the next few 

 hours. 



We shall not long be left in doubt, for the old 

 dog will cover the whole field in a few minutes, 

 and, sure enough, he is feeling something now. 

 A whirr of wings, and I just stop myself in time 

 from pulling the trigger at a half -grown hen- 

 pheasant, and a minute or two later five partridges 

 rise and sweep to the left across my companion, 

 who neatly disposes of a brace. First blood 

 for Harry ! We now come to a little heathery 

 fir plantation intersected by the road to Drim- 

 vawr. Here we go forward while it is carefully 

 beaten through, as it almost always holds game. 

 A fine old cock-pheasant blunders up just opposite 

 to me, and I stop his course through the fir trees. 

 His long spurs tell of many a year's race across 

 the moor, and he evidently would not have risen 

 for there are no such refinements as stops 

 had he not, unfortunately for himself, shaped his 

 course direct for my feet. We are in luck here 



