SPORT AT POLTALLOCH 233 



Mheall ; another heads the covert by the old cairn, 

 and the rest form two rows in the park between the 

 woods. There is little choice between the front and 

 back rows ; the " gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim " 

 will be as satisfactory as the vintage, and the second 

 row will have more time to see the birds coming, as 

 well as the satisfaction of possibly " wiping the eye " 

 of the first performers. There is no jealousy among 

 the party who stand at attention as the rapping of 

 sticks in the distance tells of the advance of the 

 beaters. The first game to show are three roe, one a 

 fine buck, but, of course, without horns at this time 

 of year. How gracefully and noiselessly the deer 

 glide along, trying first this side, then that, and finally 

 braving the open, and passing close by the whole line 

 of guns ; at last, leaping without an effort over the 

 iron fence in the middle, they disappear, unscathed 

 and very little frightened, into Calton Mor. There is 

 not one of the party who would think of shooting a 

 roe with a shot-gun, or killing one at all with its head 

 bare of its beautiful trophy. True, old Colquhoun, 

 in The Moor and the Loch, once a text-book, 

 recommends shooting roe preferably in the winter, 

 because they are then better eating than in the 

 autumn, and also recommends a shot-gun and buck- 

 shot as the best method of getting them; but in that 

 respect, like the old Greek, "we boast ourselves to 

 be much better than our fathers," and it is beyond 

 question that we have much better rifles. 



The first pheasant is now upon the wing, and it 

 looks as if it meant coming over my head. Diana 

 grant me a good judgment, a straight eye, and a 

 steady hand ! I wait until it is nearly over me 



