GfiOUSE. 125 



with a few other " good fellows " on the light wings of fancy; 

 but coming down to the more sheltered hollows, where the 

 hens assiduously sit or tend their chicks, when storms break 

 above and grey mist sweeps backward and forward in a dull, 

 damp sea of vapour along the mountain summits. 



To-day, as soon as the sun was well up, we found the 

 birds thickly upon the elevated ground we were now beating, 

 which at another time, after a period of wind or rain, would 

 have been useless for our purpose ; but a little practice soon 

 makes one familiar with such matters, and before long we 

 brought ourselves to believe that we were as knowing judges 

 of likely localities for the birds as they themselves were in 

 selecting good feeding grounds. 



Soon we approach a place where the land dips suddenly 

 out of sight, obviously the deep bed of a mountain torrent, 



worn by countless ages of fretting; and here J makes a sign 



to me to approach with caution ; so, waving back the dogs, 

 who at once come to heel, we walk slowly to the brink and 

 look over. Nothing ! Yes, but there is ! And down below 

 us, perhaps fifty feet, are five blackcock on a little patch of 

 green sward under a dead lightning-withered rowan bush. 



For a moment or two, during which we are unnoticed, we 

 watch the slow, leisurely way in which they are picking the 

 seeds from the tall grass and rushes, and their self-satisfied 

 air as they walk daintily about. It is a pretty sight, but very 

 brief, for soon a bright eye is turned on us with doubt and 

 hesitation for an instant, and then, when the danger in its 

 full force bursts on the discoverer, and he recognizes the 

 hated Saxon at arm's length, a hoarse cry escapes him, 

 throwing the whole covey into a panic. With hardly a 

 glance at the foe, they follow their leader's example, tossing 

 themselves into the air and dashing off as fast as muscular 

 wings can carry them. Forthwith our guns open fire, and, 

 as the smoke clears away, a victim or two lie amongst the 

 ferns and ling. 



These are followed by others that we come upon suddenly, 



