AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 7 



bracken, and young coniferous trees all about us, 

 disturbing a Water-Ouzel, several Eing-Ouzels, and 

 an old Blackcock, which last I had the luck to bag 

 as he bustled up the glen from underneath a fir tree ; 

 I looked upon this as a good omen, as it was the 

 first bird of the species that I had ever shot at, and I 

 have no doubt that some of my readers will share 

 with me the delightful memory of a first Blackcock, 

 glossy and heavy, but probably, if at the same time 

 of year, tailless, like mine. Stowing my prize care- 

 fully away in a bed of fern, to be picked up on our 

 descent, we soon emerged upon the open hill-side, 

 and on looking upwards perceived that the summit 

 of the hill to which we were bound was concealed by 

 a dense cap of mist ; this was disheartening, as my 

 companion assured me that there only were the 

 Dotterels to be found ; but he suggested that we 

 should let his pointer (one of the best that I ever 

 saw) hunt and try for a Grouse or two, though he 

 warned me not to expect much, as he had shot over 

 the small stretch of likely ground on the first two 

 days of the season and killed very fair bags for the 

 locality. The ground was exceedingly steep and 

 very bare of covert, but we secured a few grouse and 

 a hare, and, having exhausted our beat, sat awhile for 

 luncheon and consideration ; I was for pushing on to 

 the summit, but the canny Scot assured me that 

 although the low ground about us was perfectly 

 clear, we should not be able to see ten yards in the 

 mist above, which, however, did not seem to descend 

 at all. I had not in those days the resource of 

 smoking, a process that I have since found to be 

 most consolatory in all cases of disappointment and 

 annoyance ; in these circumstances I determined to 



