SPORT IN BUTE. 213 



on, but, with the exception of a solitary cock, we did not 

 stumble on any of the birds we had driven down. Feeling 

 sure that we had passed through the midst of them, I pro- 

 posed to take a second stretch along the brow with the evening 

 dogs, even in the face of my watcher's protest that we should 

 lose two valuable hours seeking for game that " wasna there." 

 Scarcely were the fresh dogs free than they found grouse. 

 Another and another point in quick succession, while the 

 game, in threes, pairs, or single birds, rose at my feet. In 

 place of two lost hours they were equal to any four of the 

 rest of the day for regular and deadly chances. It was only 

 the same over again in Bute, and my brow range of Clochnabae 

 hill added three brace to the bag. 



An old gamekeeper used to say at starting, " I'll try for so 

 many brace, but dinna expec' aboon the half o't." I had set 

 my bag at twenty brace, but did not " expec' aboon " fifteen. 

 It was past four when we crossed the valley of Glenmore and 

 scaled the evening hill, so to make eight brace on Bute moors 

 in the few hours now at our service would tolerate few misses. 

 Even of this short time more than an hour elapsed before we 

 got among the packs ; but when we did, the dropper behaved 

 splendidly. Finding at long distance, and never making a 

 false point, she gave us every opportunity to break the game 

 on the very heights we had selected. The scent had been 

 good all day, and at length the birds began to sit pretty well 

 too. They were found by the dogs in their best style, while 

 I seconded them by shooting at the top of my bent ; and at 

 a quarter to eight, the gillie threw up his " Glengarry " with 

 a hurrah for the twenty brace. 



My next grousing day, on the 26th, was devoted to the 

 nearer moors of Kames. A high east wind spoilt the scent, 

 and made the game still more fretty and shy of a point than 

 on the 22d. My journal entry says "Killed eleven brace; 

 only let off one shot, and three badly-hit birds." On the 30th, 

 was assisted by my eldest son, who had got a few days' leave 



