THE TWELFTH OF AUGUST. 153 



we left at once, as all other requisites had gone 

 on before with the men and our own pony. 



The morning dull, but with a slight breeze from 

 north- west almost a sure promise of a dry day ; 

 and we all left in high spirits, the Major unusually 

 bright, as he actually made a vile pun about the 

 only one I ever heard him try. He was quizzing 

 Fred on his fussy impatience, and said, " Never 

 hurry, my boy : l hurry ' rhymes with ' flurry ' a bad 

 thing in a sportsman." 



" Ah," said Fred, "but I am only at my alpha 

 yet, Major." 



"Yes," whispered the Major; "but you will be 

 at i beta and game-ah ' presently ; " and he laughed 

 gleefully at the wonderful classical joke. Arrived 

 at the boathouse, we found men,, dogs, and all 

 ready, and opened the campaign at once. 



Major Duncan and Fred, with Archie and John 

 Fraser, went off to range the moors on the north 

 side of the loch, and Ward and I kept on the south. 



We had with us Donald Cameron (Archie's sub), 

 and a shepherd boy with Punch. I liked the 

 arrangement, as Donald lives on this part of the 

 moors, and is, besides, capital with dogs. We had 

 the two setters, Monk and Melrose (so called from 



