98 SHOOTING THE HARE 



Loch Rannoch, and gives an impression of vast distance 

 in the view before us. 



A whole day of gazing would not exhaust the plea- 

 sure to be derived from a prospect of such magnifi- 

 cence ; but we have climbed to this eminence on other 

 thoughts intent, and must give our attention to the 

 business of the day. 



Far away below us we can see the large ring of 

 drivers, which has encircled the hill and is working its 

 way upwards towards our seat. Soon the clear at- 

 mosphere brings to our ears the shouts and cries of 

 the men and boys, mostly couched in a tongue 

 unknown to us, as they rouse hare after hare from 

 its seat and send it fleeting towards us up the hill. 

 Now and then arises a positive storm of shrieks and 

 objurgations as a self-willed hare resolutely turns back 

 and breaks through the line of the beaters. Soon 

 the hillside between us and the men is alive with 

 hares running in long strings along the little paths 

 that seam the hillsides, skirting the burns, circling 

 round the big rocks, but leading ever upwards. It 

 is just the time when their coats begin to change ; 

 some are in the brown garb of summer, a few are 

 nearly all white, many are in the transition stage, 

 and of a kind of skewbald colour. A strange, 

 weird Jacob's flock they look as they come stringing 



