REMINISCENCES OF A KOSS-SIJIRE FOREST. 167 



parenthesis, reminds one of the gyrations of a jack- 

 snipe in a peat-hag. (What a wonderful little bird 

 is that small Scolopax gallinula, or jack-snipe ! If 

 you're fortunate enough to miss him once or twice 

 in the morning, he'll afford you a very fair day's 

 sport.) (Another parenthesis, by Jupiter !) (and 

 that's another !) Period. 



As far as I recollect, when we got off the line 

 or on to it, rather "old John" and I were just 

 starting on our little holiday together. As we were 

 walking down to " the loch," " Is there any chance 

 to-day, John, do you think ? " I inquired. 



" Well, sir," said John, very slowly, " there might 

 be a chance, or there might not," a answer which 

 would do credit to a Cabinet Minister at an inter- 

 national crisis. It didn't give me much information, 

 but I saw from the way he was stepping out, that he 

 was pretty confident. Eeaching the loch, we jumped 

 into the boat and pulled across, then after a stiff walk 

 of four miles up "the burn," Ave commenced business. 

 In half an hour's time I had killed a stag : knocking 

 him over with the right barrel, I finished him with 

 the left. He was a wretched, rubbishy, "rotten- 

 topped " brute, barely twelve stone weight ; but as he 

 was the first of the season " the first pale primrose 

 of the coming spring" I was very glad to get him. 

 John was perfectly delighted. Throwing off his coat, 

 and turning up his sleeves, he " gralloched " him in 

 an incredibly short space of time ; then resuming his 



