110 WILD NATURE IN STRATHEARN. 



grass on the " knowes," where there was little 

 depth of earth, was burned brown. Lower 

 down in the valley the grass had lost its 

 fresh green colour, the reeds cracked as they 

 rustled against each other, and everything 

 looked scorched and wan. Many of the wells 

 and springs had dried up, and water for man 

 and beast was scarce. The Earn was never 

 known to be so low in the memory of the 

 "oldest inhabitant"; so the smith said. Stories 

 of trout of great size having been seen in the 

 pools were common, and in the evening they 

 were to be seen chasing the minnows on the 

 shallows and running aground in doing so. I 

 had tried hard, night after night, to get hold 

 of one of the leviathans, but my industry and 

 patience were not rewarded beyond the usual 

 pounder, and they could be got almost any 

 night. The water had got so low, and was so 

 clear that to attempt to catch Trout in any 

 number during the day was a fruitless exertion. 

 The return, if not nil, was such as gave little 



