THE COMMON DOTTEREL. 279 



The keeper had despatched one of his aides-de-camp to 

 search the heights near the sea, but retained the other, as 

 he, having noticed the arrival of the dotterels, could guide 

 us to the fields where they had been seen feeding. We 

 commenced our beat very systematically. Often in line, but 

 sometimes separating, we quartered each field with the regu- 

 larity of well-trained setters, and never left it while there was 

 a corner untried. And in truth there was need for this care- 

 fulness, as our game, except when the variegated breast of an 

 old male was turned towards us, was as like the colour of 

 fallow or lea ground as a ptarmigan to the granite rock. 



The birds had shifted, and the old sub began to look 

 unhappy ; not a trace of them where he had noted two small 

 flocks on the llth, and we had searched all the ground 

 strictly. The day must certainly prove a failure unless the 

 far scout was successful. We made for his heights, and saw 

 him watching our approach. A wave of his arm prepared 

 us for the good news that he had spied a flock of twelve, 

 and hoped they were safe in the adjoining fallows. Again 

 we were foiled by the restlessness of our quarry ; for in place 

 of alighting where the man supposed, the birds had flown 

 southwards, as a dyke-mason informed us, and passed him 

 within throw of his trowel. 



The march we then continued to the extremity of our beat, 

 but no appearance of the flock, when the keeper suggested, as 

 a forlorn hope, that we should re-search the field where his 

 assistant had seen the twelve so lately. An old man was 

 putting up a gate in one of these fields. " Perhaps he may 

 help us, like the mason," I suggested. " Oh, sir, he's frae the 

 Hielants ; he'll no ken them ! " " Donal, hae ye seen thae birds 

 that flee a' thegither ? " " There micht be plenty wad pass 

 me, but I couldna tell them frae ithers." 



A laugh with, or at, old Donald cheered us for a look 

 through the last two fields. Only three-quarters of an hour 

 now remained if I wished to catch the afternoon return-train, 



