1 
 
 
THE LffiRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
/«xl-^' />-C-l^ /4:l.-_— ^ /X^''-'^-^^ 
 
 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK 
 
V 
 
 Only 250 Copies of this Book 
 will be issued. 
 
LEAVES FROM A 
 GAME BOOK 
 
 BY 
 
 AUGUSTUS GRIMBLE 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 'DEERSTALKING," "SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING," " HIGHLAND SPORT," 
 
 "the DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND" 
 
 LONDON 
 
 KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., LIMITED, 
 
 PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD, W.C. 
 
 1898 
 
 Sp^ 
 
 ^Nmir, 
 
LONDON : 
 
 PBIUTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, 
 
 STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. 
 

 PEEFAOB. 
 
 These pages are dedicated to the happy memories 
 of an unbroken series of twenty successive seasons of 
 sport, given to me with no niggard hands by numerous 
 good friends. To my many kind hosts and hostesses, 
 with whom I have passed so many happy days of 
 friendship and jollity, I wish long life, good health, 
 great luck, grand sport. 
 
 A. G. 
 
 Union Club, 
 
 Brighton. 
 
 July, 1898. 
 
 iviSI '^'Pl 8 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The Authoe ....... Frontispiece 
 
 My First Eoyal Fating page 68 
 
 Raehtlls . „ „ 86 
 
 Inteemark Old Castle . . . . „ „ 104 
 
 OuB Party at Inverilark ... « « HO 
 
 Invermark Lodge ,. » 114 
 
 Carnaston M >, 120 
 
 Gaick Forest Lodge .... „ » 134 
 
 TiLLDfGBOTJBNB „ „ 138 
 
 Charlecote »» « 144 
 
 Colonel Hargreayes aot) Edmund Ormiston „ „ 166 
 
 A Sketch by Archibald Thorburn . . „ „ 176 
 
 Ballathie „ ,, 198 
 
 Group outside Balls Wood ... ,. » 204 
 
 Colonel H. Cornwall Legh, "Miner II.** 
 
 AND "Crackle" .... » » 210 
 
 Group at Langwell Lodge ... « « 222 
 
 Langwell Lodge >, », 228 
 
 Battleby >» », 232 
 
 Wood's Luncheon Tent .... » » 244 
 
 Dan-y-Park ,1 « 248 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The close of the shooting season 1898 finds me slowly- 
 recovering from a spiteful attack of influenza, followed 
 by ** complications " ; and thus it has come to pass that, 
 while consoling myself with the thought that shooting 
 had ended ere the microbe so successfully stalked 
 me, I have sought further relief from the monotony 
 of enforced inactivity in the reperusal of the pages of 
 my game book, and in jotting down the reminiscences 
 recalled thereby. Right well I know it is idle to expect 
 the contents of these pages can possibly give to others 
 the same amusement they have offered to me, but never- 
 theless I yet dare hope my readers may find matter 
 sufficiently interesting to while away an idle hour. 
 
 For many years past I have kept a game book with 
 considerable exactness, and though the starting point on 
 
2 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the 23rd December, 1853, was nothing better than a red 
 glazed tradesman's book, it has by degrees developed into 
 a somewhat portly volume. On the date above mentioned 
 it is recorded, in schoolboy writing, that *' Old Shorter 
 (the head keeper) took me ferreting — shot seven rabbits — 
 missed eight ; " this great event taking place in Mount- 
 field Park, Sussex, I then being not quite thirteen years 
 old. But, nevertheless, putting aside the " potting " of 
 sundry thrushes, fieldfares, &c., this was the very first 
 start of my shooting life. 
 
 To come, however, to more recent periods, my game 
 book certifies that in the twenty-one seasons commencing 
 from 12th August, 1877, and ending 1st February, 1898, 
 I have been present at the death of 76,577 head of game, 
 made up as follows : — 
 
 Red stags (chiefly to own rifle) . 107 
 
 Fallow bucks . . . . . 11 
 
 Roe bucks ..... 4 
 
 Ptarmigan . . . . . 89 
 
 Carried forward . , 211 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Brought forward 
 Grouse .... 
 Black-game (mostly old cocks) 
 Partridges 
 Pheasants 
 
 Hares .... 
 Snipe (chiefly to own gun) 
 Duck, widgeon, teal, and golden plover 
 
 (chiefly to own gun) . 
 Woodcock . ... 
 
 Various (jays, wood pigeons, &c.) 
 Salmon and grilse (mostly to own rod) 
 Rabbits 
 
 211 
 
 9,394 
 
 983 
 
 10,394 
 
 33,710 
 
 3,340 
 
 1,079 
 
 485 
 359 
 647 
 601 
 15,374 
 
 76,577 
 
 With regard to roe bucks, ptarmigan, black-game, and 
 woodcock, these numbers could be very largely added to 
 by going back a further ten years, during which decade 
 I shot every season on the Lochnell shootings, near Oban, 
 which were then rented as a whole by my good friend 
 the late James Virtue. Extending over some 55,000 
 acres, which included some 12,000 acres of cover, it 
 
 B 2 
 
* LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 formed a magnificent stretch of well-stocked ground, 
 on which the black-game and woodcock shooting was 
 something quite out of the common. At the end of 
 Mr. Virtue's lease this ground was broken up into five 
 or six diff'erent shootings, which naturally largely 
 reduced the head of game. My "bag," however, has 
 only been given to show one has had a fair chance of 
 seeing a good deal of all sorts of sport, for in point 
 of numbers it is not extraordinary, and my readers 
 must not think I wish to infer that the mere fact of 
 helping to put into the larder a great lot of "stuff"" 
 can of itself make a good sportsman ; for it would be 
 easy to mention the names of scores of good fellows 
 who assist each season in the killing of many thousand 
 head of game, chiefly pheasants, to whom — as I construe 
 the word — it would be a misnomer to apply the word 
 sportsman, for "shooters" or "gunners" would describe 
 them more accurately. 
 
 A sportsman, as I read the term, is one — ^no matter his 
 rank or calling — who has a thoroughly close acquaintance 
 with the natural history, habits, haunts and wily ways 
 
LEA^^ES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 5 
 
 of every sort of game ; one whose eyes and ears are so 
 educated by experience as to intuitively and instantly 
 recognise the likeliest places in which each particular 
 species of the game he is in search of is most probably to 
 be found. This does not read very difficult, but yet how 
 few of the present day shooters devote time or trouble to 
 acquire this art. Watch an educated sportsman left with 
 two " duffers," let us suppose during a day's partridge 
 driving, to choose their stands for themselves. Thrown 
 on their own resources, the " duffers " will be nearly certain 
 to take up positions over which the natural flight of the 
 birds does not lie ; while if there are at intervals clumps 
 of two or three high trees side by side in the hedge that 
 is about to be lined, then each tyro will usually place 
 himself directly in front of one of these patches of timber, 
 and of course birds are not likely to come over tall trees 
 when they can pop across a low hedge. Regard now the 
 man who knows the habits of the driven partridge (I am 
 speaking of those birds that have not been over driven), and 
 before taking up his position he will turn to survey the 
 country behind him and towards which the birds are going 
 
6 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 to be forced. If to his right rear nothing but fallows are 
 to be seen, while behind him on his left a field of roots is 
 visible, then he will stand as much to the left as he fairly 
 can, for he will know that birds will be more likely to 
 make for the cover of the root field, if the day be dry, 
 than for the bare shelter of the fallow ; but given a wet 
 day, then he will exactly reverse his proceedings. Having 
 seen all this at a glance, he will then place himself as far 
 back as the height of the hedge will allow, and directly 
 half-way between two clumps of high trees, for he will be 
 equally well aware that birds usually come over a hedge 
 at the lowest place. Even in those countries where the 
 birds are put over belts of fir trees, the man with an 
 educated eye will do better and get easier and more fre- 
 quent shots than the ** duffer," for in such a country he 
 will elect to stand behind some place where a short tree 
 or two lowers the outline of the belt at one particular 
 spot, through which gap it is nearly certain birds driven 
 for the first time are pretty sure to come. Once again, 
 turn a good man and a tyro into a fifty-acre turnip field, 
 without dogs or beaters, and behold, the former will find 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK 7 
 
 birds quicker and oftener than the latter, for parts of the 
 field will probably be slightly undulating, and it will be 
 to the sun-lying edges of these little slopes that the old 
 hand will first turn his attention, especially so if the 
 roots are not very thick at these spots, for right well he 
 knows birds like sunny banks with moderate cover in pre- 
 ference to high-growing shelter with a northern aspect. 
 
 I have even seen a keen " duffer " proudly proclaim 
 himself as such in supposing he has done a mighty fine 
 performance by walking through a thigh-high field of 
 swedes after several hours of heavy rain and towards 
 which no birds had been pressed. Why, he might as well 
 have asked his laundress to let him look for birds in her 
 washing tub. 
 
 These matters read but as trifles ; but yet so im- 
 portant are they, that he who can put them into practice 
 will surely get two good shots for the usually difiicult 
 one of the inexperienced hand. 
 
 Again, at the end of a tramp one December day 
 over a marsh, three of us found ourselves with a nice 
 bag of duck, widgeon, teal and snipe — only some of 
 
8 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 these latter birds having fallen to a duffer's share, 
 who, as it happened, was quite a good shot. Exclaimed 
 he at the end of the day, " Well, I never saw such 
 wonderful luck as you two had with the ducks, for 
 wherever you went, up they got to you." Our friend 
 did not for a moment realise that what he called *' our 
 luck " was but the reward reaped by eyes educated to 
 *' spotting " every likely place, and that his own bad 
 luck had resulted solely from his inability to do the 
 same, and approach the likely places as much unseen 
 as possible and directly up-wind. 
 
 Many anglers are equally careless and correspondingly 
 unsuccessful fishermen from being too lazy or too proud 
 to learn the Spey cast ; they have started their fishing 
 career on a river with open banks, where the overhead 
 cast could be used on every part, and then when their 
 time eventually comes to fish some river where this 
 cast cannot be brought into play, they are totally 
 defeated and get no sport; and in my opinion no one 
 can be called a good angler who cannot use from either 
 shoulder both sorte of casts. 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 9 
 
 For lack of a better word, the term " duffer " has 
 been employed to describe the untrained sportsman ; 
 but the expression has been resorted to more in sorrow 
 than in anger or contempt, for the bulk of the genus 
 duffer are real good fellows, and I have had my fling 
 at them solely in the hope of rousing some of the 
 present-day shooters — as distinguished from sportsmen — 
 to acquire a fuller perception and appreciation of the 
 delights rewarding the man who compels success alike 
 by his superior knowledge of every habit and trick of 
 each sort of game he follows, and by his ability to 
 bring to bear every known manoeuvre to outwit what- 
 ever species he is pursuing. 
 
 As to the really dangerous gunner, in my humble 
 opinion there is usually far too much forbearance shewn 
 him, and to my mind it is a mistake to overlook dangerous 
 shooting. Far better for all concerned that the dangerous 
 man should be politely but very plainly told of his 
 misdeeds. Many years ago, a guest at a shooting party 
 located on the borders of Salisbury Plain proved himself 
 so exceedingly dangerous that, at the end of the day, 
 
10 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the rest of the guests went in a body to their host, and 
 told him they would not again take the field with this 
 reckless man. Now, the culprit was a foreigner of 
 distinction, and his host was at his wits' end to know 
 how to make matters go pleasantly for all concerned, 
 until at last he hit on a happy idea, and, calling to 
 his dangerous friend across the breakfast table, he 
 announced that for him he had that day reserved the 
 post of honour, and that he was to go bustard shooting 
 on Salisbury Plain ; but he did not add that these birds 
 were extinct, and none had been seen for many years. 
 Delighted at the honour conferred on him and the envious 
 expressions of his fellow-guests at his good luck, off went 
 the stranger in charge of a keeper duly primed as to his 
 part of the business. 
 
 At the end of the day, when the party again all met, 
 the bustard stalker rushed up to his host, and, while 
 thanking him very warmly for his kindness, announced 
 as a matter-of-course sort of event that he had killed, 
 not one, but two bustards ! 
 
 I am credibly told this story is a fact, and that 
 
LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 11 
 
 these two birds were the last of the species ever seen on 
 Salisbury Plain. Be that as it may, it is not everyone 
 who has a shoot bordering on Stonehenge ; so perhaps 
 some more inventive brain than mine may be able to 
 devise other methods of getting rid of a dangerous shot 
 and yet withal pleasing him greatly ! 
 
 With regard to the great bustard, I learn from my 
 friend Mr. Henry Thomhill that the last one seen on 
 the East Coast of England was trapped at Caversham, 
 in Suffolk, on the property of Mr. H. S. Waddington, 
 and was afterwards sold at the Riddlesworth sale for 
 forty-eight guineas. 
 
12 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1887. 
 
 Commencing, then, with the year 1887, I found myself 
 a shareholder in a joint-stock shooting company, having 
 only once before been a partner in a similar concern ; 
 and this investment, like the first, proved a really good 
 one, for, in proportion to the money sunk, it yielded 
 splendid dividends in the shape of excellent sport, merry 
 companions, and the making of some lasting friendships. 
 Major James Ramsay was our chairman and managing 
 director, and right well he knew his business. John 
 Baird of Knoydart, Francis Tress Barry (the present 
 member for Windsor) and I made up the shareholders. 
 We "struck oil" on the Carim shootings in Perthshire, 
 a property belonging to that good landlord, Captain 
 Home Drummond Murray of Abercairney. 
 
 The lodge, some four miles from Blackford Station, 
 was prettily placed on the slope of the Ochill Hills, and 
 
LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 13 
 
 consequently not so inaccessible as some of the more 
 northern shooting-boxes ; and though our house had no 
 pretensions to external beauty, its solid walls contained 
 a most comfortable interior. 
 
 These shootings extended over an area of some 12,000 
 acres, of which 6,000 was moor, the remainder being bog, 
 grass, and farmed land. The rent was then £600, and 
 as in those days the G-round Game Act was not in 
 existence, both brown hares and rabbits were plentiful, 
 for of the former we got upwards of a thousand in the 
 season. 
 
 During my first stay at Carim of three weeks the 
 total bag was — 
 
 1,123 grouse. 
 
 29 black-cocks. 
 
 28 partridges. 
 279 snipe. 
 
 23 ducks. 
 315 hares. 
 732 rabbits. 
 
 11 various. 
 
 Or a total of 2,540 head. As it was a bad partridge 
 
14 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 year, we gave them a jubilee ; but in any fairly good 
 season from three to four hundred brace could be got. 
 The snipe marsh was then a great feature of this ground, 
 and passengers by the trains going north will find their 
 route runs on the eastern edge of it, while passing 
 between the stations of Greenloaning and Blackford. 
 Here in those days the snipe bred freely, and as many 
 as forty-five couple have been got on it by one gun in 
 a single day. 
 
 On the 11th of August we were all to have met at 
 Carim Lodge, but at the last minute a wire came from 
 Baird saying he could not be with us till a few days 
 later ; therefore we agreed to keep the best grouse beat 
 for his start, while we worked the rest of the moor 
 in the meantime. It was the 17th before our missing 
 partner turned up, and the following day we were all 
 delighted when he returned home with one hundred and 
 twelve brace to his own gun. This fine bag, together 
 with a rather clever performance on the part of a 
 retriever of Barry's, was the only noteworthy event 
 occurring during our happy time at Carim. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 16 
 
 It chanced that in the spring the keeper had caught 
 a fox cub, which he kept in the stable yard chained 
 to an extempore kennel made out of an old cask, and 
 with a little carpentering, felt and pitch, no better or 
 warmer one can be desired. One morning while we 
 were at Carim it was found that the fox was missing, 
 while it could be seen that he had drawn the staple 
 of his chain and gone off with it and the collar attached 
 to him. It was certain that with these ornaments he 
 could not go very far, so taking Barry's retriever to the 
 empty cask, and pointing out the deserted abode, the 
 keeper sent the dog in pursuit, while, as fox and dog 
 were good friends and accustomed to play together, 
 there was no fear of Reynard coming to grief. 
 After a short absence the dog came back with his 
 tail aloft, and proudly holding one end of the chain in 
 his mouth, led the fugitive to the door of the keeper's 
 cottage. 
 
 As soon as sport began to slacken at Carim, Baird 
 asked us all to visit him at Knoydart; unluckily for 
 Barry, he had to go south, so Ramsay and I started 
 
16 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 for Oban to meet our host's large paddle-wheel yacht, 
 The Griffen. We found her lying in Kerrera Sound, 
 and six o'clock that evening saw us steaming full speed 
 ahead past DunoUie Castle, straight up the Sound of Mull. 
 
 As dusk came on, we went below to an early dinner, 
 so as to get a steady table before meeting the big roll 
 of the Atlantic coming round Ardnamurchan Point — a 
 real bad place to weather during a gale from the west, 
 for circling round that rocky promontory the tides 
 raced with all the impetuous force of a large and 
 swollen Highland river. Thus, when winds and currents 
 met, this could at times be a very rough and even 
 dangerous bit of sea. 
 
 On this particular night all went well, and as we 
 came on deck to smoke our pipes. The Griffen rose and 
 fell to the big rollers in a gentle and friendly manner, 
 the paddles were beating the water with quick thuds, 
 while in the dusk the white seething foam of our 
 track was visible a long way astern. As the stars shone 
 out, the surrounding hills appeared to shut us in on all 
 sides, and the Captain on joining us invited each to 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 17 
 
 guess where the true outlet was, when having both 
 made failures we retired to our berths, laughing at our 
 discomfiture. 
 
 The next morning found The Griffen at anchor in 
 Loch Nevis, just off Inverie House, a large comfortable- 
 looking mansion. The route by which we had come 
 is really the only pleasant one to Knoydart ; true it 
 is that a pony track crosses the hills from the side of 
 Loch Ness to the head of Loch Hourn, but it could 
 only be travelled with impedimenta of the collar and 
 tooth-brush order ; weather permitting, there was also 
 an alternative route, and one could get put ashore by 
 dropping into a row-boat coming out of Loch Nevis 
 to meet the steamer passing up the Sound of Sleat. 
 After breakfast we landed, to be welcomed by our host 
 and another guest. Colonel Albert Williams, R.H.A., 
 and the remainder of that day we passed rod in hand, 
 the Colonel and I going to Loch Dhulochan, while the 
 other two made for the Inverie River — proceedings which 
 resulted in a great show of sea trout in the evening, 
 together with a twenty-two-pound salmon caught in the 
 
18 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 lochi by the Colonel with a single-handed trout rod and 
 small sea trout fly. During dinner it was settled that 
 on the morrow two parties of two each should stalk 
 and that Ramsay* should fish, for, as he was not in 
 the best of health, he wished to keep clear of the hard 
 exercise involved in climbing the steep and stony hills 
 of Knoydart. 
 
 No sooner, however, were these plans made than 
 they were doomed to be upset, by the butler notifying 
 to his master that the head forester was in the pantry 
 and wished him to know that he had just " got word " 
 that the Morar poachers had arranged to come next 
 night to net a distant river on the Knoydart property, 
 falling into the head of Loch Nevis. 
 
 Our host promptly decided we would be in front 
 of them, and orders were given to have boat, nets 
 and spears ready for an early start on the morrow. 
 
 * This makes a party of five, and it is correct, for there was one 
 more guest, a right good fellow, but whose name I cannot recall to 
 mind, having by some means left it out of my game book. Therefore, 
 as it is awkward talking about a nameless guest, I have taken the 
 liberty of christening this gentleman after Mr. Scrope's well-known 
 companion, and for the future he will appear as *' Lightfoot." 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 19 
 
 The day broke gloriously, and we were soon afloat, 
 though five of us, with a quartette of gillies, made a 
 heavy load, in spite of the four long oars at which we 
 all took a willing turn during this pull of twelve 
 miles. At length the journey came to an end, so, while 
 everything was being made secure and the nets, etc., 
 landed, putting my rod together, I went off up stream 
 at best pace, in hopes of getting some sport before the 
 netting party caught me up. 
 
 The whole stream did not extend to more than three 
 miles, but there were plenty of nice deep pools, which, 
 though all my own to flog for fully an hour, yet failed 
 to give so much as a rise or even the sight of a fish. 
 Then, as the netters appeared, I joined them, vowing 
 boldly there was not a fish in the stream. 
 
 Our four gillies were soon waist deep in water, 
 
 working the net cannily round the edges of a deep 
 
 pool. As the operation neared completion, our host 
 
 took a spear, while telling us to do likewise ; then 
 
 following him, we were shortly all standing nearly 
 
 shoulder to shoulder in the shallow rush of water 
 
 c 2 
 
20 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 above the pool, hardly being in position before cries 
 came from the gillies, telling us they could feel fish 
 striking the net. Immediately afterwards there were 
 plenty of fish of all sizes trying to dash past us up 
 the shallow, or bolting under banks and boulders to 
 hide themselves as they caught sight of us. Eight and 
 left the spears were plied, sometimes victoriously, but 
 oftener missing, while with a sharp rattle the metal 
 prongs dashed against the stones. Amid shouts of 
 " There he goes ! " more than one of us fell souse into 
 the water, or could be seen standing aghast, with arms 
 tingling from finger-tips upwards at the shock caused 
 by a bad stroke, having violently speared a rock instead 
 of a fish. As by degrees the net was worked round to 
 the shelving side of the river, quitting our places we ran 
 forward to see the contents, when, behold ! from the pool 
 I had vowed was empty, out there came ten good salmon 
 of from nine to sixteen pounds, together with some 
 thirty-five sea trout. 
 
 In a similar manner other pools were visited, and by 
 the time the best of them had been netted, twenty-eight 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 21 
 
 salmon and grilse, with about a hundred sea trout, had to 
 be carried back to the boat. The row home in the dusk 
 wound up a real good day of fun, doubtlessly enhanced 
 by the knowledge of having outwitted the poachers and 
 by picturing to ourselves what would be their disgust 
 when later on they made their long journey in the 
 darkness, only to find themselves forestalled. 
 
 These scringing and splash-net poachers are the pests 
 of the West Coast of Scotland, and there is hardly a 
 village or town between Oban and the extreme north 
 but what has its gang or gangs of these pirates. Dry 
 weather is their great opportunity, for as soon as rivers 
 and streams run too low to permit the ascent of salmon 
 and sea trout, these fisli congregate in large numbers 
 in the estuaries, where they become an easy and profit- 
 able prey to the scringe-net of the poacher. Strange to 
 relate, Scotch gamekeepers, unless ordered and incited 
 thereto by their masters, rarely bother their heads about 
 fish preserving, and for this reason numerous are the 
 hauls made by the poachers in undisturbed tranquility. 
 In this respect both owners and renters of fishings, even 
 
22 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 though they be keen anglers, are usually also very care- 
 less ; and thus it comes to pass, when the drought ends 
 and the long looked for flood comes, which should stock 
 the rivers, numbers of gentlemen are to be heard wasting 
 much breath in wondering why no fish have ascended 
 their streams ! In cases where the estuaries are not very 
 deep or very wide, the fish can easily be protected by 
 sinking objects in which the net is bound to become 
 entangled. A good big stone wrapped round with thorn 
 bushes, and tied up with barbed wire, will play delightful 
 havoc with any net ; or an empty three-dozen champagne 
 case, filled with stones and externally " porcupined " with 
 long strong nails, and dropped into the water at intervals, 
 is an easy way of protecting an estuary, for this preserver 
 can be deposited exactly where it is desired to put it. In 
 the first place the case can be laid empty in the stern of 
 a coble, then the stones can be added, the lid fastened 
 down, and the projecting nails driven in, when the boat 
 can be pulled to the spot it is desired to protect, and a 
 good shove will deposit this salmon life protector in its 
 position, while one man can easily put down a lot of these 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 23 
 
 obstacles in a day, and no net will move them or come 
 clear without being seriously damaged. In this manner 
 I successfully defeated the raids of several gangs of 
 habitual scringers of the mouth of a small sea trout 
 stream running through a shooting I once had near Oban, 
 much to my own gain in sport and greatly to the damage 
 of their nets. This town is undoubtedly the headquarters 
 of the poaching fraternity, and in the autumn, long after 
 the salmon nets have been compelled by law to cease 
 work on all the adjacent rivers, there may yet be seen 
 exposed for sale on the fishmongers' slabs most splendid 
 salmon freshly netted from the sea. In a letter to the 
 Scotsman and the Ohan Times, to which I signed my 
 name, I taxed the Oban fishmongers with selling poached 
 fish, and challenged them to deny the accusation, which, 
 however, not one of them did, and, what was more extra- 
 ordinary, neither did any of the local or district fishery 
 inspectors take any notice or in any way interfere. 
 Therefore small wonder the fish poacher thrives on the 
 West Coast ! 
 
 An amusing sequel to a fish-poaching expedition 
 
S4 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 happened to my old friend Captain G. W. Hunt, when 
 he rented the Glendrynoch shootings in Skye. In some 
 mysterious way his head keeper, Mackintosh, learnt 
 there was to be a raid made on the estuary of one of 
 the Glendrynoch streams falling into the West Coast 
 of the island, and promptly informing his master, it was 
 instantly resolved to try and effect a capture ; accord- 
 ingly, about midnight Hunt started with two keepers 
 across country, so as to reach the estuary well before 
 dawn. Just previous to setting out, Mrs. Hunt asked 
 her husband if he were armed, for it was a matter 
 of common talk that the rascals they were about to 
 try and arrest were a rough and lawless lot. This 
 enquiry drew a grim chuckle from the Captain, and an 
 assurance that, should there be blows, he did not doubt 
 but what the stout oak stick he carried would be ample 
 protection ; then, to make Mrs. Hunt more at ease, he 
 picked off a table a very large revolver with a long 
 nickel-plated barrel — a formidable weapon of large bore, 
 and a regular "man stopper" if ever there was one — 
 and thrusting it in his pocket, he departed with a 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 25 
 
 laughing assertion that the mere sight of it would scare 
 a whole army of poachers. 
 
 A few hours' walking brought the three into their 
 places, and after a short wait they saw by the light of 
 the moon a boat come round the promontory and pull 
 up the estuary towards them. The four strong men at 
 the oars soon brought the little craft opposite the 
 hidden watchers, when two of the crew were put ashore 
 with one end of the net rope, while the other couple 
 rowed oflf at best speed to form a large semi-circle and 
 bring the net to land again some distance above. The 
 moment the boat left the shore, Hunt told his two men 
 to creep in as near as they could, and then to pounce 
 on the two shore men the instant the boat completed 
 the shoot of the net and touched land again. Then, 
 when a few minutes later the boat was beached, Hunt 
 also sprang from his lair in the healther and boldly 
 jumped on board, while he could see that his men had 
 laid their two rascals by the heels ; springing past the 
 two astonished men. Hunt quietly seated himself in the 
 stern, and telling them they were trapped, he ordered 
 
36 LEAVES FROM A GAIVIE BOOK. 
 
 them to row gently back over the course they had 
 come, so that he might pick up and of course capture 
 both net and fish ! Rather a rash order for one man to 
 give to two big, powerful fellows, who, however, seeing 
 that their companions were already caught, and perhaps 
 somewhat taken aback at the unconcerned coolness of 
 their captor, proceeded to obey sullenly ; when, however, 
 they had pulled a short distance. Hunt saw the bow oar 
 give the stroke a significant dig in the ribs, which sign 
 was instantly followed by both men reversing their 
 hands and clearly preparing to club oars and knock 
 their captor senseless, or push him into the sea. Then 
 Hunt's hand flew to his breast-pocket, and the long 
 shining barrel of the revolver flashed in the moonlight 
 as he levelled it straight in the face of the nearest 
 ruflian, while in stern business-like tones he was told 
 that the smallest movement indicative of violence would 
 for certain bring a bullet crashing through his head. 
 Completely overawed by the Captain's resolute bearing, 
 the two men in sulky silence finished their uncongenial 
 task, and as they reached the shore, they were promptly 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 37 
 
 seized and bound and laid by their companions. Thus 
 Hunt and bis two men had collared four poachers, and 
 now that they had time to look them over, Mackintosh 
 was able to identify them all by name and knew where 
 each one hailed from, so therefore they were released 
 and told to foot it. Their boat and net were kept, and 
 the latter destroyed within a few hours, while in due 
 course the quartette of poachers were summoned before 
 the local beak, or " Fiscal," I think he was called. 
 When the day of trial arrived, they at once pleaded 
 guilty, but before sentence was passed, the local limb 
 of the law they had employed for their defence asked 
 permission to say a few words in mitigation of punish- 
 ment. Commencing then by stating that his clients all 
 had starving families to provide for (they always do 
 have under similar circumstances), he proceeded to 
 lay great stress on the fact of Captain Hunt having 
 gone out armed with a murderous weapon, fully prepared 
 to take the lives of these poor men had they offered 
 the least resistance, and so strongly and so hotly was 
 this matter put, that "The Fiscal," whose sympathies 
 
28 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 were with the poachers, turned to Hunt and inquired 
 in severe tones, "Is it true, Captain, that you had 
 a big revolver with you that night ? " — to which 
 query came the answer, " Yes, I had ; and I have 
 it now with me in Court, in exactly the same 
 state in which it was then." " Then, Captain Hunt," 
 replied the Fiscal, " I will ask you to produce it, 
 but pray be very careful how you handle a loaded 
 pistol." 
 
 On hearing this. Hunt pulled from his pocket the 
 terrible weapon and carefully pointed it to the ceiling, 
 while the whole of the crowded court craned their 
 necks aloft to gaze at it, and were evidently much 
 struck by the size ; then, just as suppressed talk began 
 to make itself heard, Hunt pulled the trigger, when, 
 amidst roars of laughter, the barrel fell in two pieces at 
 right angles to the stock and a very pretty fan was seen 
 to hold them together, the whole thing being a Parisian 
 conceit. Needless to say, Hunt won his case, and the 
 poachers were rather heavily fined, and what was still 
 better, they came in for such an amount of chaflf that 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 29 
 
 they soon left Skye to seek fresh fields of operation 
 on the mainland. 
 
 At the dinner-table that evening — where, by the way, 
 we guests first made the acquaintance of a " tappit hen," 
 a bottle of claret holding about five ordinary ones — it 
 was settled afresh that the arrangements previously made 
 should hold good, Lightfoot and myself being told ofi" to 
 go to the most distant beat in the forest. Six o'clock 
 next morning saw us both in the saddle, a fine specimen 
 of West Coast manhood leading the way, and, though 
 carrying both our rifles, he took us at a good trot along 
 a well-made track. Our guide, moreover, was adorned 
 with a profusion of long, curling, dark-red hair, which 
 presented a somewhat comical appearance as it flopped 
 up and down at each footfall of his pony. Conversation 
 with him was out of the question, as he had " no much 
 English," and during all that day " Goot morning, gentle- 
 men," " Goot evening, gentlemen," was the longest speech 
 he made us. 
 
 It was a perfect stalking day, the light clear, with 
 the clouds high overhead moving gently to a steady 
 
30 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 breeze coming from the very best airt. After a pleasant 
 ride of some ten miles, we found the Knoydart peninsula 
 had been crossed, and that we were making a descent 
 on to the side of Loch Houm, which, some two thousand 
 feet below us, looked like a serpentine streak of freshly- 
 cleaned silver. Across the loch Ben Screel reared his 
 three thousand feet of stony height almost sheer from 
 the water-side. This is perhaps the stoniest hill in all 
 Scotland, for, excepting a few stunted birch-trees fringing 
 the base, there is from sea to summit neither heather 
 nor grass to break the grey monotone of millions and 
 millions of stones of every shape and size. A thin 
 streak of smoke was coming from the lonely cottage of the 
 forester living at the head of Loch Hourn, the only sign 
 of life in this wild and desolate-looking country. On 
 arriving here, after being welcomed with a cup of milk, 
 we stabled our ponies while listening — although feeling 
 quite "out of it" — to a long Gaelic confab between our 
 escorts, when it dawned on us that our second stalker 
 could not raise more English than the first one. A fairly 
 good track ran by the seaside to the head of the loch, a 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK 81 
 
 sharp tramp along this making a pleasant change from 
 pony back ; then we turned abruptly to the right, to find 
 ourselves face to face with the very steep hillside towering 
 above us ; so steep was it that the whole party were 
 reduced to hands and knees ere gaining the top. Once 
 there, the panorama that disclosed itself was of such vast 
 dimensions and so superbly beautiful that for a short time 
 the deer were absolutely forgotten. Facing us lay the 
 whole of the Sound of Sleat and the Isle of Skye, with the 
 saw-shaped peaks of the Cuchullins in the distance ; away 
 to the west the Islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna 
 dotted the ocean, while further to the south CoU and 
 Tiree appeared in the distance, their rocky extremities 
 apparently curving up and standing clear of the water 
 — sure sign of wet weather ; beyond these isles spread 
 the waters of the sunlit Atlantic, offering a view so 
 vast in scope that no canvas could take it in. Infinitely 
 varied in outline and ever changing fi:om grave to 
 gay, as the shadows chased each other from rocky 
 headlands to darken distant islands, the whole effect 
 offered a land and sea scape of such rare bcAuty that, 
 
32 LEAVES FROM A. GAME BOOK. 
 
 though able to feel all the charm, I am quite at a 
 loss to describe it adequately. 
 
 Needless to say, our two Highlanders had paid 
 no attention to any matters of this sort, but in lieu 
 thereof they had taken up positions wide apart from 
 each other, while, lying on their backs, they were 
 busily engaged in spying. As the "second" forester 
 happened to be the nearer to us, we squatted beside 
 him, also getting out our glasses to share in the 
 search. Presently there came from the head man a 
 great grunt, and, turning towards him, the sound was 
 emphasized by an outstretched arm terminating in an 
 enormously large pointing forefinger, which certainly had 
 not seen soap that morning. It was clear he had found 
 deer, so putting our glasses on to the spot indicated, we 
 soon made out a small herd of eight stags some two miles 
 distant right in front of us, and on the very edge of the 
 hill we had just come up. Then ensued a whispered, 
 though seemingly excited, talk in Gaelic, which sounded to 
 us as if there was some small difference of opinion as to 
 the best method of making the attack ; so we also held a 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 33 
 
 council of war, only to agree to our mutual satisfaction 
 as to the manner in which we would proceed if we were 
 alone, when, eventually, we were pleased to find our ideas 
 appeared to coincide with those of our guides. Once 
 more we faced the hill we had come up, and descended it 
 to nearly half way (rather a bore after all the trouble we 
 had had in climbing it) ; then we struck right along the 
 face, the reason for this manoeuvre being discovered as we 
 passed a wide gap, through which the deer might have 
 " picked us up," had we not kept below it ; and the long- 
 haired one silently pointed to it as a sufficient explanation 
 of the movement. Once past this, we gradually scrambled 
 again towards the summit, while, on nearing it, our stalker 
 halted and again pointed upwards, as, with an expressive 
 look, he drew the rifles from their covers, at the same time 
 signing to us to load. Taking a coin from my pocket, I 
 spun it up and held it out to my companion, who, in a 
 whisper, guessed wrongly, so I was to have first fire, 
 though almost sorry to do so, for it was Lightfoot's very 
 first chance at deer. I whispered, but it is to be feared 
 in a half-hearted tone, " You take it," but meeting with a 
 
34 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 resolute shake of the head, the advance was resumed. As 
 we came to the sky-line, dropping to our knees, we crept 
 forward almost three abreast ; a head in front of me on my 
 left was the stalker, while on my right crawled Lightfoot. 
 After covering some yards in this way, eight stags became 
 visible, seven of them browsing about a hundred yards 
 below us ; the eighth was lying behind a big rock, with 
 nothing but his head showing. As he undoubtedly had 
 the best pair of horns of the lot, after a moment's 
 hesitation I settled to try for a " gallery " shot. 
 As the rifle was laid, a sharp kick on the shin made 
 me turn to find the stalker scowling fearfully, while 
 he pointed and signed as well as he dared, with eyes 
 starting out of his head, to a very easy broadside chance 
 at a beast feeding below. For the life of me I could not 
 help winking at him, while with a grin I again sighted 
 for my first choice. As the report rang out, the stag's 
 head, as if moved by machinery, dropped quietly to the 
 heather, while, as the forester had predicted, the rest 
 of the herd dashed off to the right, and putting in my 
 second barrel too hastily, I struck my beast nearer the 
 
LEAVES PEOM A GAME BOOK. 35 
 
 haunch than the heart, a bad example promptly followed 
 
 by Lightfoot with his first barrel ; but whispering to 
 
 him, " Steady now with your second," even as I spoke 
 
 the ball sped true, and the next best stag rolled over. 
 
 Then indeed the two men had much to say to each other, 
 
 and to us also, only we could not understand them. 
 
 Lightfoot was patted on the back, and " Goot — ferry 
 
 goot " sounded in our ears as we all ran down to the deer. 
 
 We each made for our own, and mine lay exactly as he 
 
 was when the ball struck him ; death must have been 
 
 really instantaneous, for he was brained, and lay with his 
 
 fore legs still tucked under him, and beyond the drop of 
 
 the head he had clearly not moved a muscle. On joining 
 
 Lightfoot, we found his stag had a bullet in the haunch, 
 
 another in the stomach, and the final one through the 
 
 heart, so we had struck him at each shot. Lunch followed 
 
 the gralloch, after which we had another long spy ; but 
 
 finding nothing, we returned to the scene of our success, 
 
 where we were made to understand that the deer had to 
 
 be taken down the hill to the loch side. Between us all 
 
 four, the carcasses were with much labour hauled down to 
 
 D 2 
 
36 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the water's edge without damage, and then tramping off 
 to the lonely cottage by the waves, the ponies were 
 saddled, and, making the best of our way home, a little 
 past nine o'clock found us seated at the dinner-table. 
 
 The next morning we all went to see our quarry 
 hanging in the larder, when Lightfoot and I had to face 
 a lot of rather severe chaff from Williams about our wild 
 shooting at the beast with the three bullets in him. 
 However, there was nothing to be done except grin and 
 bear it. The day following, however, the Colonel was 
 stalking by himself with the head forester, and sent home 
 a good beast, and when next morning we made the usual 
 trip to the larder, to our great joy we saw this stag had 
 two bullets in his haunches, one in his entrails, and one 
 in his heart ! Needless to say that as we saw this sorry 
 sight we were quick to recognise our opportunity for 
 retaliation had come, and, though the Colonel was a good 
 bit our senior, we made the most of it. 
 
 The Knoydart deer of those days were not very heavy 
 either in body or horn, but in 1893 the estate was pur- 
 chased by Mr. E. Salvin Bowlby, of Gilston Park, Herts, 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. SPT 
 
 under whose management it would appear the deer have 
 increased both in quantity and quality, as at the present 
 time the usual average kill is about 100 stags, showing 
 a mean weight of 15 stone clean. This property in its 
 earlier days was one of the strongholds of the powerful 
 Macdonnell sept, under whose sway the hills and valleys 
 of Knoydart saw much clannish warfare. At the present 
 time the district is so peaceable and so sparsely populated 
 that the last recorded bloodshed still dates back to 1745, 
 when a sergeant of a party of the King's forces, scouring 
 the district in search of fugitives from Culloden, killed a 
 crying child in front of its mother's eyes, merely to curry 
 favour with his officer, who was annoyed by the sound. 
 The father of the murdered child, vowing vengeance, 
 pursued the party, and having escaped after killing by 
 mistake a prisoner purposely mounted on the officer's 
 horse, he yet stuck to his purpose, and again coming up 
 with the detachment, he shot the officer dead and once 
 more beat a safe retreat. 
 
 This district is further remarkable as having been 
 the scene of the wreck of one of the Armada, and 
 
88 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 to this day there is a colony of Catholics dwelling in 
 Knoydart with all the well-known characteristics of the 
 Spanish race. 
 
 To my mind there is but one drawback to West Coast 
 sport — that is the weather, for once let it break, and then 
 there is no telling how long it may continue to rain. 
 I have on one occasion seen it fine every day for a whole 
 month, but in an experience of many years I have several 
 times known pelting rain to fall every day for four or five 
 weeks in succession, which was only made more provoking 
 by the nights being brightly starlight. Whether this 
 phenomenon can be accounted for on any meteorological 
 and scientific data we never troubled to enquire, though 
 now that I rarely visit the wild West Coast, I often 
 wonder if this matter of wet days with fine nights can 
 have any explanation except pure " cussedness " on the 
 part of the Clerk of the Weather. 
 
 The sport of the West Coast is almost endless in its 
 variety, for, setting aside the pursuit of game with the 
 gun, the fishes, porpoises, otters, and the wild birds in 
 the time of their migration are ever inviting the attention 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. SS 
 
 of the sportsman ; and on this beautiful coast a small 
 cottage with a boat and man will provide daily excite- 
 ment at a very small cost. The most plentiful fishes 
 are the codling, whiting, and coal fish or saithe, whose 
 young are called cuddies. The coal fish I soon found to 
 be very partial to a fly dressed on an inch and a half 
 iron covered with a silver body, beginning and ending in 
 a head and tail of red worsted, while two long strips of 
 white swan feather made wings, which concoction, when 
 attached to a couple of lengths of old salmon gut, will 
 beat all the shop flies ; and with three of these I hooked 
 simultaneously, and later on landed, helped by a small 
 sharp gaff" wielded by a clever boatman, a treble event 
 in the shape of three coal fish of five pounds each. 
 
 The sport with whiting as long as it lasts is usually 
 fast and furious, for, during the first two or three days 
 after the arrival of a shoal on the feeding bank, fi:om 
 ten to fifteen dozen may be pulled into the boat in a 
 few hours ; then on the third or fourth day the fishing 
 on that particular ground will be almost surely spoilt 
 by the quantities of dog-fish that have gathered together 
 
40 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 in pursuit of their favourite food, and on such occasions 
 there will be more of these shark-like gentry hauled up 
 than delicate whiting. 
 
 There is one species of dog-fish carrying a long 
 thorn-like spike on its back a little above the tail; this 
 weapon, which varies from one to two inches in length, 
 is so strong and so sharp that a fish of but a few 
 pounds weight can drive it through the leather of a 
 boot, and when bare flesh is pierced, it usually festers 
 and swells to an alarming extent. All such customers 
 should be dealt with summarily before being brought 
 into the boat, and as the head of the thorn-bearer 
 reaches the gunwale, a smart rap should render him 
 harmless. I was often surprised at the numbers of large 
 dog-fish I have landed on the rather fine single gut 
 used for whiting fishing, and can but account for this 
 by recalling to mind that these last-named fish require 
 quick striking, and thus all the dog-fish having been 
 caught for whiting, had been hooked only just inside the 
 lip, and so hindered from reaching and cutting the gut 
 with their teeth. 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 41 
 
 On still, sunny days great amusement may be had 
 with the water telescope, which is but a small barrel 
 from which both ends have been removed and one 
 replaced with plate glass. If the tub be then fastened 
 to the stern of a boat, with the glass end sunk some 
 few inches under water, the bed of the ocean can 
 be distinctly seen down to a depth of about twenty 
 feet. On either side of the man at the tub should lie a 
 long bamboo pole, one armed with a three-pronged 
 spear, while the other should carry a semi-circular 
 landing net of small mesh, and this paraphernalia being 
 ready, many bright hot days may be happily passed 
 while paddling round the rocky West Coast and searching 
 the depths of its remarkably clear waters. The spear 
 will bring skate, flounders, and at times other fish to 
 the surface, while the net will lift oysters, sea urchins, 
 or other dainties and curiosities of the deep. In this 
 way I speared two heavy fish one season, one a skate 
 of forty-seven pounds (by no means a large one), which 
 was only secured after a hard tussle, while the other 
 was a curious marine monster called the Angler Fish, 
 
42 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 though known to the natives as the Fishing Frog. This 
 creature had an enormous mouth, with a protruding 
 under-jaw armed with sharp teeth. The head was out 
 of all proportion to the body, while from the centre of 
 the forehead grew a long tapering tendon, not unlike 
 the thin end of a lady's riding whip, and terminating 
 in a black tuft overhanging the mouth of the "frog." 
 It is said that small fish, taking this tuft for some- 
 thing to eat, are at once snapped up by the open 
 jaws below as they approach to inspect it. We 
 estimated this specimen to scale about thirty pounds, 
 but the enormous head as compared with the small 
 body made it difficult to judge with accuracy, for on 
 that particular day we had not a steelyard with us, 
 and since then I have often regretted not having 
 consigned the hideous thing to the hands of the 
 taxidermist. It did not in the least heed the boat 
 being over it, as for some time I had it kept stationary 
 in the hopes of seeing a fish caught, which to my 
 great regret did not happen, although the beast seemed 
 to be lying open-mouthed with his bait dangling over 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 43 
 
 it; then tlie light began to fail, and the spear was 
 used. 
 
 "With regard to otters, many of them have sea-side 
 residences as well as river ones, and in the middle of 
 the first and last quarters of the moon, when the neap 
 tides occur, their bolt-holes into the sea are left so 
 much uncovered that they have to cross a yard or two 
 of dry ground before reaching the water. On these 
 occasions it is indeed good sport to row on a fine 
 autumn day (for the otters do not come to the sea 
 much before the end of October, just as the salmon 
 begin to get out of condition) from island to island, 
 when, accompanied by a couple of wire-haired Skye 
 terriers, visits can be paid to every holt. The dogs 
 should be put into some holt well above the one 
 opening into the sea, while it is not necessary to spend 
 much time at each, for if Mr. Otter is at home the 
 dogs will tell it at once. The very moment the dogs 
 enter the holt the hunter must stand ready prepared 
 for a snap shot, and as he is rarely more than twenty 
 yards from his quarry, but very few should escape. For 
 
U LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 this work I used No. 3 shot, and in one season bagged 
 sixteen otters. 
 
 Now as to the seals, I must confess they fairly beat 
 me, for, from being a good deal " looked after," they 
 seldom rested on the shore of the mainland, preferring 
 the greater security of the points of many small islands ; 
 while, as they can see, hear and wind one better than 
 any deer, it was nearly impossible to stalk them, and 
 thus I never got but two, and those as much by good 
 luck as by skill, for they were the results of snap shots 
 made at about a hundred yards. On each occasion 
 the '450 Express bullet literally split their heads 
 asunder, killing them stone dead, and enabling us to 
 row up in time to get the spear into their bodies 
 before they sank. It must be stated that these two 
 shots were the only " bullseyes " made in many essays, 
 but those who have tried it will confirm me in saying 
 a seal's head is not a large mark when bobbing about 
 on the sea a hundred yards away ; likewise, it must not 
 be overlooked that the boat is also ever moving, while 
 the shot has to be taken from the shoulder. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 45 
 
 As for the porpoises, at times one may go a long 
 time without seeing one, and then for several days in 
 succession vast shoals appear, on which occasions they 
 paid so little heed to our small boat, when anchored 
 for whiting fishing, that I have struck them with the oar 
 as they rose close to us ; also, when these thousands of 
 porpoises were rolling about on all sides of us, I took 
 the opportunity of snapping 12-bore bullets at them 
 from an old cylinder gun, but finding they could not 
 be killed stone dead, I soon gave up the attempt. The 
 natives of the West Coast at times endeavoured to use 
 the harpoon, but their weapons were of such a rude 
 character that, even when apparently fairly struck, the 
 porpoise nearly always wrenched himself jfree ; and though 
 I witnessed some good runs with the harpoon, not one 
 actual capture can be recorded. With a well - made 
 harpoon there cannot be a doubt that many porpoises 
 could be killed ; likewise, I think they might be made 
 to afford splendid sport if an attempt were made to hook 
 them with a spinning herring ; with such a lure at the 
 end of some hundreds of yards of stout line wound on 
 
4B LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 to a big reel, fixed in the stern of the boat, there would 
 be considerable excitement as the fish took the bait. 
 That they would seize on such a lure I feel certain, as 
 the herring, with the sprat, is their principal food ; and 
 the next time I visit the wild West Coast for any length 
 of time my kit will contain the necessary tackle to give 
 this idea a good trial ; also there will be a strong, sharp 
 harpoon with barbs that will not draw, and thus in 
 one way or the other I look forward to some lively 
 times with porpoises. Should the spinning herring be 
 a success, then people will not need to go to Florida 
 for uncertain tarpon fishing, for a better sport will 
 have been found on our own sea coasts. 
 
 In quitting the subject of the West Coast, I will 
 but urge my readers never to let feelings of fatigue 
 or bravado tempt them to sit down in front of a good 
 fire whilst wet through, for unless wet clothes be at 
 once changed for dry ones, sooner or later rheumatism 
 is certain to put in an appearance. 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 47 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 During the seasons of 1878 and 1879 I did but little 
 shooting, and it was not until the 14th September, 
 1880, that I again found myself hard at it. On that date 
 I was the guest at Mildenhall, in Suffolk, in company 
 with Captain J. Peareth, of my old friend Harry Rae 
 Reid, who entertained us right well at the village inn. 
 On the 15 th we three, accompanied by Mr. Gittus, Sir 
 John Rae Reid's tenant, of Worlington, shot over that 
 property on a very wet day, getting eighty - seven 
 partridges and a snipe. Hares we did not shoot, as Mr. 
 Gittus asked us to leave them for coursing, a sport of 
 which he was an ardent follower, and I well recollect 
 how little heed any of us paid to a somewhat insignificant- 
 looking brindled greyhound lady, to whose training her 
 master devoted constant attention. This animal was a 
 relation of the celebrated " Coomassie," who, a few years 
 
48 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 previously, had been tlie winner of the " Waterloo Cup " 
 for two years in succession, when on the occasion of her 
 first victory she was owned and trained by Mr. Gittus. 
 
 On the 16tli of September we shot over Mr. Godfrey's 
 property at Kennett, a crack shot in the shape of Mr. 
 E. Fryer making up the party, and better practice than 
 he made it has rarely been my lot to witness, for in 
 spite of the day being oppressively close and sultry, we 
 nevertheless took home 220 head, made up of 183 birds, 
 forty hares, and two wood pigeons. In the evening 
 the village of Mildenhall was very gay, the sporting 
 inhabitants making somewhat noisy demonstrations of 
 joy on learning that the Newmarket horse, " Kobert the 
 Devil," had won the " Leger " that day. 
 
 On the l7th we were a party of five guns on the 
 Heath beat of the Kennett estate, for Mr. Fryer, 
 accompanied by General Wilkinson, joined us ; the day 
 resulting in a bag of 170 partridges, twenty-five hares, 
 five rabbits, and two pigeons, or 202 head. As the 
 18th was wet and thundery, we did not take the field 
 till well after 11 o'clock, our party being reinforced by 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 49 
 
 the arrival of Stanley Hicks and Charles Farmer ; 
 but driven in by a deluge directly after lunch, 
 the bag was but seventy-one partridges. This total of 
 511 birds were killed entirely by hard work, for we 
 " walked in " the stubbles for ourselves, and as they were 
 numerous and large, with root fields comparatively 
 scarce, we all had plenty of exercise. 
 
 My next visit this year was to an old schoolfellow, 
 the late Captain Harry Dacres Evans, R.H.A., who had 
 rented the house and shootings of Glassaugh, near Portsoy, 
 in Banffshire, from Mr. Grant Duff, of Fetteresso. Poor 
 Harry, like many other good fellows, was not super- 
 abundantly endowed with the sinews of war, so on 
 retiring from the Service — through the loss of a foot — 
 he wisely enough preferred the comforts of this well- 
 built roomy country house, with its excellent furniture, 
 together with some 5000 acres of low ground shooting, 
 and all for £100 a year, to the doubtful pleasures of 
 a villa at a like rental at Norwood or Brighton, or 
 in "the jungle," as he used to call the suburbs of 
 London. 
 
 E 
 
50 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Arriving at Glassaugh on the 27tli of September, I 
 had eighteen days of sport, on five of which Colonel 
 Ainsworth gave me his aid ; the bag for that time 
 counting 612 head, or an average of 34 head each day — 
 pretty good sport for the rental. In this total was included 
 215 partridges, with 82 pheasants, the remainder being 
 made up of hares, snipe, and every other sort of game, 
 including even 5 grouse. My friend kept but one keeper 
 and one gardener, who also looked after a pony and trap. 
 The sale of the rabbits with a little game paid the keeper's 
 wages, together with the hire of a gillie for three months 
 of the shooting season ; the sale of the garden produce 
 plus the absence of greengrocer's bills also cleared the 
 gardener's wages ; so here was my friend with a fairly 
 large, most comfortably furnished house and some 5000 
 acres of shooting, all for actually £100 a year, and I would 
 suggest to others not overburdened with riches that 
 similar places offer a far more enjoyable, healthy life than 
 a home in the crowded jerry-built villas of the London 
 suburbs. It is the wives and daughters who usually bar 
 the way to such a life, for unless they can find happiness 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 61 
 
 in country pursuits and be content with a limited amount 
 of society, it must frankly be owned that this sort of 
 existence is but a dull one for them. While I was at 
 Glassaugh my host came out every day in a bath chair 
 pulled by a donkey, and placing himself in front of the 
 fields we were beating, he always contrived to get a few 
 good driven shots, and as long as birds flew to his left 
 he was very certain of killing. 
 
 During my stay here I killed, out of a turnip field 
 on the 15th October, a short-horned owl — an unusually 
 early date on which to see one of these wanderers 
 over the whole surface of the globe, for, though they 
 breed here, they seldom arrive before the month of 
 November. I was quite sorry I shot it, for they are 
 harmless birds and splendid mousers, but I had just 
 got a woodcock — probably a home-bred bird — out of the 
 same field, and in a bad dull light I took the owl to be 
 another one. 
 
 1881. 
 
 My next trip worth mentioning was in August, 1881, 
 
 when, receiving an invitation from my old friend Henry 
 
 E 2 
 
52 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Spencer Lucy, of Charlecote Park, Warwick, to spend a 
 month with him in the Highlands at Corrour in Inverness- 
 shire, the 11th of the month saw us arrive at the lodge 
 in the dusk of evening. This was no easy place to get at, 
 for on quitting the limited mail at Struan Station, first 
 there came a ten-mile drive to Kinloch Rannoch ,• there 
 horses were changed for a further jolt of another twelve 
 miles along the side of Loch Rannoch until "The Barracks" 
 was reached, at a little distance beyond the head of the 
 loch. Here our baggage was put out on to the heather, 
 while close at . hand three stout gillies with four ponies 
 were in waiting. One of these ponies bore a deer saddle, 
 another was harnessed to a diminutive two-wheeled cart, 
 while the other two carried riding saddles. After seeing 
 to the packing of our luggage, some in the cart, some 
 slung on the deer saddle, and locking up in a shed any 
 articles that could not be carried forward that day, Lucy 
 mounted his pony " Maggie," a clever, well-shaped mare, 
 and I having done the same by " Jack," we broke into a 
 trot, soon leaving the baggage train behind us. At a 
 turn of the track I caught sight of them, and noticed that 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 53 
 
 a gillie urged the pack pony in front of him while leading 
 the one in harness, the other two gillies placing themselves 
 meanwhile at either side of the cart ready to lend a 
 shoulder to keep it upright, for as the track was of 
 the roughest and most uneven description, there was 
 a good chance of an upset at any moment. A ride 
 of eight miles brought us to the door of Corrour Lodge 
 just as daylight was failing, and the end of our thirty 
 miles of posting and jolting had come. Now as it 
 had been a splendidly fine day, the fatigues of our 
 twenty-four hours' (from Euston) journey were nothing 
 to speak of, although the same trip at the end of 
 September on a wet windy day, with darkness coming 
 two hours earlier, was quite another matter, and on 
 such occasions I never yet met anyone doing it for the 
 first time but what he had a good deal to tell about it on 
 his arrival at Corrour. This Lodge was then the highest 
 inhabited one in Scotland, as it stood just 1740 feet above 
 sea level. While the exterior was severely plain, the walls 
 were stout and thick, as they had need to be, for wind, 
 snow, and rain each battered against them with double 
 
64 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the fury they brought to bear on lower-lying habitations. 
 The inside was snug enough ; big fires of peat and wood 
 burnt in our bedrooms and the dining-room, which was 
 also drawing-room, smoking and gun room rolled into 
 one. A long time after we had finished dinner the rest 
 of the procession arrived, when in due course the butler 
 announced our things were unpacked. 
 
 The morning of the " twelfth " was darkly clouded, 
 with a strong south-west wind blowing up heavy showers ; 
 not an inviting day, so it was decided to shoot round 
 the house. Then followed an introduction to handsome, 
 good-mannered, old Allan MacCallum, the head forester, 
 and as clever a man with deer as I ever came across. 
 He and his two sons, Donald and " young " Allan, com- 
 pleted the keepering stafi*. On the way out of the house 
 we halted at the stable door to look at the mass of 
 winter snow still banked up in it, a sight at which Lucy 
 only laughed, while, turning to his butler, he told him 
 to put some champagne in ice for dinner ! 
 
 By ten o'clock my host was working a pair of well- 
 broken Gordon setters. The light, however, was very 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. fiS 
 
 bad, SO thus, like most others in similar circumstances, we 
 did not show our best marksmanship, as it is not often 
 that anyone can take a long journey and shoot really 
 well the next day. My idea is that the jolting and 
 shaking of trains, waggonettes, and ponies stirs up the 
 liver too much, and hence the eye is dulled. Be that as 
 it may, we came home with 123 grouse and two white 
 hares, which proved to be nearly a representative bag of 
 each succeeding day. 
 
 On the 30th of August we were joined by Charles 
 Williams, a cousin of Lucy's, who stayed with us till the 
 6th of September, during which time we shot two parties 
 each day, taking it in turns to go out alone. As the 
 2nd of September was a day of unusual splendour, with 
 a bright hot sun, a cloudless sky, and not a breath of 
 wind, we determined to attack the ptarmigan on the 
 heights above the Lodge, all the party being pretty well 
 " baked " by the time the hill top was reached. We 
 ** picked up " eleven grouse in making the ascent, while, 
 as the birds were very wild, we had plenty of other shots, 
 thus getting some little excitement to help us aloft. 
 
56 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Once on our ground, we went at the " tarmigs " with a 
 will, and after securing forty- two of them, with forty-six 
 blue hares, we returned home delighted with a splendid 
 day's sport. 
 
 To many sportsmen, the author amongst the number, 
 the pursuit of the ptarmigan is of all others the most 
 fascinating. It is the deerstalking, so to speak, of the 
 shot-gun, taking the shooter on to the same rugged 
 heights the stalker delights in, so that any one who can 
 walk a ptarmigan hill never need fear for his powers if 
 offered a day with deer. These hardy birds are seldom 
 found below an altitude of 2,000 feet, and where the 
 heather and grouse cease to exist, there they thrive. 
 
 Ptarmigan ! As the word is penned, what pleasant 
 memories are recalled of stony hills in Sutherland, Inver- 
 ness, Ross, Perth, and Argyle — visions of rocky peaks of 
 dull grey stones splashed with black and yellow crottle ; 
 some, flat and standing out at right angles to the hill- 
 side, look like the giant slates of giant school-boys ; 
 others, nearly round, seem barely able to keep their 
 places, appearing as if a push would send them crashing 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 67 
 
 into the valley ; rocks of every shape and size ; stones 
 by the myriad, from the tiny ones that run away in 
 thousands from the tread, to the great lumps as big as 
 small cottages, round which a careful way has to be 
 picked. Rocks and stones on every side, some shining 
 and sparkling in the sun, others looking black in shadow, 
 while yet over all prevails a cold, dull, melancholy tint 
 of grey. Deep below lies the sombre valley of dark 
 heather, flecked with white streaks of running burns, 
 and dotted here and there with lochs that look like little 
 ponds. There is no visible sign of life, and apparently 
 nothing growing that could support it ; and yet on these 
 sterile altitudes ptarmigan not only exist, but thrive 
 and hatch their young. If the day be warm, with birds 
 plentiful, it will not be long ere a sharp, harsh ** cr-r-aik " 
 is heard, and again and yet again it sounds ; but if the 
 shooter be a novice, look as hard as he may, nothing 
 living will his eyes detect, and turning to ask " Donald " 
 what is making that queer noise, he will get for answer, 
 " It's just the ptarmigan, sir ; I've been minding them 
 some time. Do ye no see them sitting right in front ? " 
 
68 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Then suddenly a stone appears to turn into a bird, and, 
 lo ! a ptarmigan is discovered not forty yards away ; 
 then another and another gradually dawn on the un- 
 initiated eye, for as yet they have not changed the 
 mottled stone-coloured plumage for the whiter one which 
 Nature provides for them to match the winter snow, 
 although even in the depth of the Scotch winter the 
 hen retains more of the grey plumage than the cock. 
 
 The uninitiated may perhaps think it tame sport to be 
 able to get within range of birds sitting on the ground, 
 and that consequently they must be very easy to kill ; 
 but close as they occasionally sit, and prepared as the 
 shooter is, he will yet have to shoot well to get a brace, 
 for of all game birds ptarmigan are quickest off their 
 feet, for their bodies are light, their wings are long and, 
 accustomed to fly against the mountain gales, their 
 flight is extremely rapid. As the sportsman arrives at 
 the altitude where the grouse end and the ptarmigan 
 begin, both birds may at times be flushed simultaneously, 
 and though the former is the heavier, it can then be 
 seen the wings of each are as nearly as possible of the 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 69 
 
 same length, which will average about 25 inches from 
 the tip of one to the tip of the other. At various times 
 I have cut open the crops of these birds, and have always 
 found the contents to consist of the small oblong ever- 
 green leaves of the crowberry, mixed with a few whole 
 leaves of the blaeberry. Those killed early in the day 
 have had their crops only partially filled, while those 
 shot later in the afternoon have been brimful, even when 
 deep snow was covering the hills, for on steep faces there 
 are always snow slips — miniature avalanches, in fact — 
 which leave their food uncovered, and in such spots, 
 on well-stocked grounds, it is not unusual to spy from 
 fifty to sixty of these wild and beautiful birds assembled 
 in a pack. It is of little or no use going after them on 
 days that are unsettled, the wind being the great enemy 
 to success, for when blowing cold and strong, the birds 
 will be wholly unapproachable, and rising wild, they 
 make long flights across the valleys, to find shelter in 
 places which it would take the pursuer an hour of hard 
 walking to reach. 
 
 The next day, the 3rd, broke nearly equally fine, 
 
60 LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 except that there was a gentle breeze driving white fleecy 
 clouds across the sky, so that their moving shadows rolling 
 over moorland and mountain made a perfect picture of a 
 wild landscape. As breakfast finished, I went to the 
 dining-room window to see more of the view, and as I 
 threw it open to get a better look out, the shadows cleared 
 off stag-famed Ben-y-Vricht, while a flood of brilliant sun- 
 shine illumined the whole face of the hill, from the very 
 summit of the rocky, precipitous crest right down to the 
 more gentle slopes of the heather and grass-clad base. So 
 very clearly defined did it seem to stand out that, although 
 four miles away, I turned to the mantel-piece to reach 
 doWn a spy-glass, remarking, "It is so very bright that 
 in spite of the distance one might perhaps see deer." 
 
 ''No," said my host, "it is too far, except by any 
 chance there were a hundred of them moving together." 
 
 However, paying no heed to the discouraging remark, 
 I knelt down, and resting the glass on the window-sill, 
 brought it to a focus, when, lo and behold ! there actually 
 appeared, as if by magic, fully a hundred deer trotting in 
 a mass across a bright green strip of grass. The discovery 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 61 
 
 was proclaimed with great excitement, whilst every 
 available spy- glass was soon turned on to the herd. My 
 host looked at me, I looked at him, and clearly each 
 guessed the thought that had flashed across us. " Who 
 shall go ? " was the question that propounded itself 
 unconsciously to each of us. The matter was soon settled, 
 for my friend, with rare self-denial, met my gaze with a 
 laugh as he said — 
 
 " Well, as you found them, you shall go after them ; " 
 then making a study of the clouds, he continued, " With 
 this wind you will have to get round them, so I will post 
 myself in a pass on Malaneach to which they may come." 
 
 That being settled, Williams, who cared but little for 
 stalking, went off to his grouse beat in Ben Alder Glen. 
 A few minutes later I also was away with Donald 
 McCallum, and having started as if we we about to walk 
 right away from the herd, we eventually began to turn 
 their flank, while a couple of hours' smart walking had 
 brought us to within a mile of the deer, the bulk 
 of them then resting in a large half circle, with the 
 hinds at either end of the crescent and the stags in 
 
62 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the centre. Our glasses now easily showed us there 
 were many very fine beasts amongst them, while one 
 especially seemed to tower above all his fellows. In 
 the position they were then in it was impossible for us 
 to approach nearer until they rose and fed out of sight, 
 for there was a large flat between us and them, the 
 slope on which they were resting commanding every 
 inch of it ; therefore we crept to the edge of the flat, 
 getting by this means several hundred yards nearer, 
 and then lying behind a heathery knoll, out came our 
 glasses, and we examined them one by one quite at our 
 leisure. Quickly we made out that the stag we had 
 already noticed as being the largest was undoubtedly a 
 splendid Royal. I at once impressed on Donald that that 
 was the deer I must shoot at. Never yet had I had 
 a chance at such a one, and get him I must, and 
 would fire at no other, intending even to risk a long 
 shot at him in preference to taking an easier chance 
 at a smaller beast. We counted more than forty stags, 
 and judged there were double that number of hinds — 
 truly a splendid sight. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 63 
 
 In about an hour one by one the hinds began to 
 rise to feed, while in a short time the whole herd, 
 following their example, had fed away from us, to 
 vanish over the top of the slope. As two little 
 "staggies," however, would not pass over the sky-line, 
 it became a question as to whether we should attempt 
 to cross the flat in sight of them, for it was clear 
 that, if they would only follow the rest of the herd, we 
 could make a dash for it and reach the top of the ridge 
 while the deer were yet within shot. Making up our 
 minds to have a try, then began one of the longest, 
 most tiring, flattest, and wettest of creeps that I ever 
 undertook. The ground we were about to crawl over 
 was simply a morass on which the hillocks and water- 
 courses ofiered us the scantiest of shelter. Creeping 
 forward like a couple of big lizards, we were at once wet 
 through from breast to knees, sinking well over our elbows 
 at each movement, and often having to wait motionless 
 for many minutes as those two little despicable stags 
 ceased feeding to gaze about them. When about half 
 way across this flat, to our great joy they disappeared. 
 
64 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 and pleasant indeed was the relief of standing up and 
 commencing a run. But we had not quite finished with 
 this couple of nuisances, for one came back. Luckily we 
 saw his horns coming into view, so therefore before his 
 eyes had a chance of seeing us, we were both lying as 
 flat and still as any of the large boulders around us. This 
 sudden move on our part quite did away with any 
 pretence of being dry, for in going down so quickly I 
 lost my balance and fell on my back in a pool of water, 
 where for some time I had to remain, afraid to stir hand 
 or foot. This little "beastie," having unconsciously put 
 us to all possible annoyance, at length departed, a move- 
 ment to which we responded by quickly gaining the edge 
 of the flat ; then after a few seconds' pause we crept up 
 the slope in front of us, whilst my excitement increased 
 as Donald uncased the rifle and passed it to me. After 
 creeping some distance the hinds became visible on 
 either side, being almost within shot. As they were 
 feeding quietly, with no stags visible, it became next 
 door to a certainty these were all on the other side 
 of a small hillock, some sixty feet high and directly 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 6& 
 
 in front of us. Again it became a question as to 
 whether we could creep across the space between us 
 and this hillock without being detected by the hinds ; 
 we solved the problem by slipping quietly into a 
 deep burn, offering shelter sufficiently good to allow 
 us to get out of sight and reach the foot of the 
 hill, on the other side of which we expected to find 
 our quarry. Pulling back the rifle stops, I now crept 
 quietly upwards, with Donald at my elbow. We were 
 within a few yards of the top when an old cock grouse 
 flew off the very summit, crowing as noisily as he could. 
 '* Quick, sir — run up," whispered Donald, and together we 
 dashed forwards to crouch behind a big stone, only to 
 see the whole herd of stags packed together and heading 
 at a trot for my host's hiding place, which was about a 
 mile away. It was annoying beyond everything to be 
 beaten like this just as success seemed certain ; there 
 were, it is true, several good stags trotting off, offering 
 fair shots at about a hundred and twenty yards, but my 
 special prize — my Royal — was so covered by others I 
 could not even get a chance at him. 
 
66 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 " Tak' that yun, you'll get no other," said Donald, as 
 he pointed to a good shootable beast broadside on ; but 
 I was so vexed that I declined his advice, and sat 
 watching the hinds join the stags, while the whole herd 
 ambled suspiciously away. In the meanwhile the full- 
 cocked rifle was held in readiness to take any chance at 
 the big stag. At last, his head showing clear of the 
 crowd, crack I crack ! both bullets were sent pinging 
 after him, with no other effect than putting the. whole 
 herd to a violent gallop. It was an almost impossible 
 shot, and though recognising that fact, yet a feeling of 
 utter disgust took possession of me. Mechanically I 
 reloaded, not with any intention of firing again, but 
 from pure force of habit. An old hind led the herd, 
 who suddenly, for no apparent reason, turned sharp to 
 the left, taking the whole lot with her ; and now, instead 
 of going away end on, they were crossing us some 
 200 yards distant in almost single file, each stag in 
 turn presenting his broadside. Recognising the altered 
 position of affairs, hope revived in me as Donald 
 whispered, " Steady, sir ; that's him, last but three." 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 67 
 
 Holding well forward as I pressed the trigger, the Royal 
 fell stone dead in his tracks without so much as a 
 struggle. Overjoyed at this happy result, the left barrel 
 was emptied at another good stag, which also fell 
 mortally wounded. Running up to our quarry, we 
 found the Royal quite dead, so I stayed to admire him 
 while Donald gave the coup de grace to the other one. 
 The big stag was struck in the very centre of the heart, 
 and though of course it was where the bullet was 
 intended to go, I could not help feeling it was very 
 lucky to have placed it so exactly, for he was going at 
 a hard gallop and we stepped it 212 paces, so that, 
 allowing for ups and downs, it could fairly be called 
 180 yards in a straight line. 
 
 By the time the beast had been gralloched and 
 lunch eaten it was nearly three o'clock, when it 
 suddenly occurred to me it was Saturday, and therefore, 
 unless we could get the Royal home that evening, 
 he would have to stay out until Monday morning, 
 a period of nearly forty -eight hours, during which 
 
 foxes, eagles, or rain might all combine to spoil him. 
 
 J 2 
 
68 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 As this was not to be thought of, and as the Lodge 
 was but four miles in a bee-line, I despatched Donald 
 at best pace to fetch a pony, telling him I would wait 
 his return to help him put the stag in the saddle, for 
 no one man could have done this unassisted. Donald 
 having departed, seating myself by my prize, there was 
 ample time to admire anew his goodly proportions and 
 noble antlers — a perfectly shaped chandelier horn of great 
 substance and width, with very long, strong brow antlers, 
 as were also the three points on each top. Since that 
 happy day I have carefully looked at many Royal heads 
 hanging round the walls of friends' houses, and have 
 seen but few that could " take the shine " out of the 
 one that was then by my side, and I must confess it 
 had already become a matter of speculation as to whether 
 it would be given me to grace the walls of my dining- 
 room. Soon after Donald left I was joined by Lucy, 
 who had witnessed all that happened from his hiding- 
 place on Malaneach ; but when at last Donald returned 
 with the pony, we found the deer-saddle had rotten 
 girths, so getting the stag home was a long and trouble- 
 
My First Royal 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 69 
 
 some business, and, owing to repeated breaks, Corrour 
 was only eventually reached by ten o'clock, where we 
 found Williams, who had brought home twenty- seven 
 brace of grouse, well-nigh famished, as he had all too 
 politely waited dinner for us. Later on my host sent 
 me to bed in a most happy frame of mind, by telling 
 me to have the head packed and sent off, to be set up 
 for my very own. The next day, although it was " the 
 Saabeth," we weighed him 21 stone quite clean — that 
 is, without heart or liver. The total bag at Corrour 
 this season, up to the 14th of September — " twenty- 
 seven days out, eight of them very wet and only half 
 days " — was : — 
 6 stags. 
 52 ptarmigan. 
 
 1804 grouse. 
 117 various (hares, ducks, snipe, and black-game). 
 
 1979 
 
 As Charles Williams only shot grouse for three days, 
 this was a bag that any two guns might fairly be proud 
 of making. The grouse were all shot over dogs, while 
 
70 LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 during the whole time neither of us fired simultaneously 
 at the same bird. 
 
 During my stay at Corrour Lucy's butler, a most 
 reliable man, used to amuse himself in the afternoons 
 by catching trout in a burn which ran near by. 
 One day he came back with the following extra- 
 ordinary story. He told us that, having fished some 
 half-mile below the house, he sat down to smoke 
 a pipe on a high bank of heather some thirty yards 
 from a miniature pool, through which the stream 
 ran very sluggishly. While thus resting, he saw a 
 great number of rats approaching the burn from the 
 opposite side; he estimated the company to be some 
 hundreds strong, and being curious to see what 
 such a crowd of these pests could be doing, he sat 
 quite still and remained unnoticed. When the rats 
 reached the bank of the burn, their leader went into the 
 water and held on to a heather root with his teeth, while 
 another one passed over his back, and, taking hold of 
 the leader's tail, dropped himself into the water, this 
 process being repeated time after time, until the living 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 71 
 
 bridge thus formed reached close to the opposite bank, 
 all the rats in the water meanwhile paddling hard with 
 their feet to keep their bridge from being carried down 
 stream, and as there was but little current, this they 
 easily managed to do. Then, as soon as the remainder 
 of the shore rats, which were chiefly young ones, saw 
 that the bridge was nearly complete, one by one they 
 proceeded to cross over on the backs of their parents and 
 leapt to shore from the back of the last link in the living 
 chain. As soon as the whole of the juveniles had 
 passed, the bridge dissolved itself into individuals, who 
 quickly swam ashore, and the whole party resumed their 
 march. 
 
 During the remainder of 1881 I had many pleasant 
 days of sport with Edward Lawson on his recently 
 purchased estate of Hall Barn, in Bucks. The head of 
 game on this property was not then nearly so heavy 
 as judicious preservation has now made it, but as a 
 specimen sort of day of that period, I see that in company 
 with our host, Sir George Prescott, Sir Roger Palmer, 
 John Edwards Moss, R. Serecold, Willie Lawson, and 
 
72 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 S. H. Phillips, on a " dark and windy day," we took on 
 November 24tli, out of Burtley and Great Bower Woods, 
 198 pheasants, 13 hares, 53 rabbits, and 5 pigeons, or 
 279 head. During this day Lawson shot a weasel with 
 a fresh-killed mouse in its mouth, so that it seems even 
 this most inveterate of poachers likes a change of diet, 
 and can at times make himself positively useful. 
 
 On nearly the last day of this shooting season — viz., 
 the 28th January, 1882 — I had a most sporting day with 
 my old friend and brother officer, Captain F. D. Webb — 
 *' The Reefer " of his intimates — when, in company with 
 his brother, Godfrey Webb, we made on their property, 
 lying round Milford House, Godalming, a bag containing 
 eight sorts of game, a matter not often or easily accom- 
 plished so near London. We also saw black-game, which 
 we of course did not try to shoot ; likewise great lots of 
 duck, of which we bagged six, while snipe, pheasant, 
 partridge, teal, widgeon, hare, and rabbit made up the 
 eight varieties. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 73 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1882. 
 
 I CANNOT pass on to the events of this year without 
 mentioning a matter not perhaps strictly connected with 
 sport, although it relates to shooting, and I will tell how 
 in June I won the Gun Club International Cup of £300, 
 with £250 in it and £200 in bets, the richest prize ever 
 shot for in England ; while, as nearly all the well-known 
 trap-shots toed the mark, the slice of luck that landed me 
 first past the post was indeed something to remember. 
 There were eighty-seven shooters at £5 each, and at the 
 end of the fourteenth round a tie was called between 
 Viscount Obert, Captain Frank Gist, each standing at 
 twenty-eight yards, and myself, at thirty. In shooting 
 off we each killed our next two birds, though one of mine 
 went off apparently unhurt, and only just as it reached 
 
74 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the stone wall of the boundary was it seen to weaken 
 and fall dead against it. On Gist starting the 
 seventeenth round, he shot under a fast-rising bird 
 each time, which departed unscathed. The Viscount 
 killed, and I having followed suit, then asked him if 
 he would like to divide the added money of £350 
 (for the second prize was worth £100) and shoot 
 the match out for the cup ? To this suggestion Obert 
 shook his head determinedly, and politely declined the 
 offer. 
 
 Now, I had already heard my opponent was one 
 of the " cracks " of Belgium, and handicapped in his 
 own club at 31 metres, or just over 33 yards ; so, as 
 I was now giving him two yards, when, according 
 to the handicapper, he should have been giving me 
 three, I did not feel very hopeful of victory. Closely 
 did I watch my antagonist take his place for the 
 eighteenth bird, and it struck me — though it may 
 have been but imagination — that he showed signs of 
 nervousness ; at any rate his bird, hit with both 
 barrels, wriggled over the wall, to fall dead outside, 
 
LEAVES FJEIOM A GAME BOOK. 76 
 
 and I was left to kill to win £750. Would that such 
 chances came oftener ! I do not think I showed 
 any outward sign of funk, but as the betting on 
 the deciding shot was very heavy, in addition to 
 the large sum at stake for myself, there was the 
 thought of losing a great deal more for my friends, 
 and I freely own to having felt a hitherto unknown 
 sensation of anxiety as I called *' Pull." Over came the 
 left-hand corner trap — my special aversion — releasing a 
 low-flying rock, which dashed off at a great pace with a 
 zig-zag flight. Before I fired the first barrel I thought, 
 ** By Jove ! I'm done ; " and a miss it was. Then, before 
 I pulled the second barrel, it flashed across me, " Take it 
 as if it were a partridge ! It's an easy shot if it was 
 game shooting ; " and acting on this inspiration, I " felt " 
 for the bird, pulled the trigger, and grassed it amidst a 
 shower of congratulations. It may read nearly impos- 
 sible that I could have thought all I have related between 
 the pull of the trap and the discharge of the second 
 barrel, but nevertheless it is the fact, and doubtlessly 
 thoughts pass through one's brain quicker even than the 
 
76 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 lightning flash descends from the skies. Later in the 
 afternoon I asked the Viscount why he had declined 
 to divide, and learnt from him that he had taken a 
 bet of a thousand pounds to thirty against his winning 
 outright from the late Mr. Bachelor — the ever popular 
 " Sam " — who often made a book of a thousand 
 pounds on the shooting events in which there were 
 large numbers of competitors. Luckily for me, the 
 Viscount thought — goodness only knows why — that I 
 wished to go halves in this bet, as well as halves in the 
 pool ! Perhaps the fact of my French being rusty, and 
 his English being nil, helped to complicate matters. 
 Thus luckily I secured the entire stake and prize, while, 
 as Bachelor had laid me two hundred pounds to eight 
 against myself, the total win amounted to £750. Cheer- 
 fully did the lamented " Sam " hand me this money, for 
 it was all he had laid against the winner, as directly 
 I had killed a bird or two, and he saw I was " in form," 
 he astutely kept me as a good outsider to shoot for his 
 book, and thus my win was a real good thing for him 
 also. 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 77 
 
 On the 1st of September this year I found myself 
 staying at Burnham Beeches with the late Montague 
 Williams, our party being made up by Willie Lawson and 
 Harry Parker, when in wettish weather we got eighty- 
 three birds between us. A somewhat ludicrous thing 
 happened during the day. Williams' keeper, who rejoiced 
 in the odd-sounding name of Puddephat, having reared 
 some 200 tame partridges, had turned them out in coveys 
 of twenty, and during all the morning master and man 
 were continually wondering why we had not met with any 
 of them. At last the whole 200 birds rose in one big lot 
 out of a grass-field, only to fly, much to our disgust, 
 straight off our ground. During the rest of the day 
 we could hear great popping going on in the enemy's 
 camp, and there was but little doubt that our neigh- 
 bours had got behind this large pack of birds and 
 "mopped them up." It is well known that hand- 
 reared partridges, when divided and turned out in 
 coveys, will be nearly certain to re-assemble unless the 
 lots be placed so far apart as to be out of calling 
 distance from each other. 
 
78 LEAVES EKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Poor Montague ! what an amusing companion he 
 was ! But he was always better with his tongue than 
 with his gun, for his greatest friend could not have 
 called him " safe." Later on this season I was 
 present when he lodged a pellet in the nose of my 
 brother-in-law, Russell Ward. The sinner was perfectly 
 unconscious he had fired a dangerous shot, and on Ward 
 showing him the result of his handiwork, Montague threw 
 up his hands in horror, exclaiming : '* Dear me ! I really 
 am the most unfortunate fellow in the world, for this 
 makes the sixth friend I have hit this season." However, 
 all's well that ends well, and the wounded man was the 
 first to lead the laughter we could not suppress on hearing 
 this strange lament. 
 
 On September 7th I found myself staying with George 
 Faudel Phillips at Balls Park, Hertford, where, in a few 
 showery days. Col. Daniel with Cecil Block joining us 
 each day, we got just one hundred birds, for it was a 
 bad season in these parts. 
 
 Next, on the 19th, the walls of Corrour Lodge 
 held me once more, where I stayed till the 13th 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 79 
 
 October. The best of tbe grouse shooting being over, 
 the greater part of the time was devoted to stalking, 
 and we only bagged 108 grouse and 12 ptarmigan, 
 with some few hares, snipe, and black-game. This 
 season was ever afterwards alluded to by us as the 
 " missing " one, for we both shot badly. What Lucy did 
 I will not record, but I can safely say I beat him hand- 
 somely, for I had fourteen good shots and killed but two 
 stags. Now how that happened puzzles me to this 
 day ; however, there is the melancholy fact, only to be 
 erased from my memory later on by a score of sixteen 
 stags for eighteen bullets. 
 
 On October 6th we were joined by the late Lord 
 Alexander Paget, as keen a stalker and as pleasant 
 a companion as I ever met. Poor " Dandy " — or 
 as old Allan McCallum, the head forester, always 
 called him, "Yon Lord Dandy" — also had his share 
 of Corrour bad luck that season, for in the six 
 days following his advent he was out early and 
 home late in all sorts of weather, and though Lucy 
 sent him each day to the best ground, he got 
 
80 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 but a single shot in all the time, when, however, he 
 made a kill. 
 
 During Paget's visit an incident happened which made 
 both Lucy and I laugh on one side of our faces and 
 " swear " on the other. It so happened that we met by 
 accident on the top of the hill overlooking Corrour Lodge. 
 It was quite early in the afternoon, but as each of us 
 had spied the whole of his beat without seeing so 
 much as a horn of any sort, we were making the best 
 of our way home, each carrying his share of an attack 
 of the "dolefuls." We had hardly exchanged greetings 
 and commenced the descent, when on our left front we 
 heard the reports of two barrels, followed at once by 
 two others. 
 
 ** What on earth can that be ? " said Lucy, as we 
 dropped on our backs and pulled out the glasses. 
 
 *' The light is so bad," continued he, " that I can't 
 make out who they are, but I'm nearly sure they must be 
 some of the Rannoch Lodge people who have strayed off 
 their march, and if that is the case, they will not get 
 back to Rannoch till long after dark, so let us go down 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 81 
 
 and try if we cannot persuade them to stay and dine 
 with us and take a bed at Corrour." 
 
 Accordingly, on hospitable thoughts intent, we struck 
 off to the left, and in a short time we were within a mile 
 of the two shooters, who were getting plenty of sport, as 
 shots were very frequent. Then we again took another 
 spy and became somewhat puzzled, for we saw there 
 was no keeper with them, and yet it seemed impossible 
 that a couple of poachers would be so daring as to come 
 and shoot grouse over dogs in broad daylight and within 
 hearing of the Lodge. However, our suspicions were 
 raised, and from this moment we proceeded to stalk the 
 shooters, and so well did we do it that neither of them 
 became aware of us until we were within thirty yards of 
 them, when, lo and behold ! we found ourselves face to 
 face with Lucy's butler (not the one of the rat story) and 
 Paget's valet. 
 
 My host kept his temper admirably, and telling the 
 culprits to take up the dogs and follow us home, we left 
 them looking very crestfallen. . The next morning, in 
 what Lucy called the " sweating room," each got pretty 
 
8?. LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 well hauled over the coals. Notwithstanding all the shots 
 we heard fired, their bag was but three birds ; and Paget's 
 man had studied his master's interests by using Lucy's 
 gun and cartridges, and Lucy's man had done the same 
 by his master and used mine. Neither, however, got " the 
 sack," for they were both exceptionally good servants, 
 and we afterwards had many a laugh in recalling the 
 blank looks of astonishment depicted on the faces of the 
 two shooters when we surprised them, as we were each 
 supposed to be at least ten miles distant. 
 
 In the month of November I had two nice days 
 at Hall Barn, which gave a total of 592 head, chiefly 
 pheasants, to seven guns each day. Sir Robert Harvey, 
 Sir Roger Palmer, Brydges Willyams, Coleman of 
 Stoke Park, Archie Wortley, Willie Lawson, and Ben 
 Way joining us on either one or the other of these 
 days. 
 
 On the first day (the 11th November), Archie Wortley 
 gave us a display which only a well-trained sportsman 
 would have recognised as the right thing to do. During 
 the course of the day, while shooting Dipple Wood, we 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 83 
 
 came to a beat near the outside of the property which 
 
 was full of pheasants, numbers of which could at times 
 
 fly back over the beaters and so pass right off the 
 
 shooting. For this reason it was always necessary to have 
 
 a reliable gun with the beaters, and on that day the post 
 
 fell to Wortley, and as the cover about to be beaten 
 
 was chiefly low gorse, bracken, and broom, the guns 
 
 posted in front could see the beaters approaching from 
 
 the very first start, and all of us saw that Wortley 
 
 could easily have had some sixty shots at birds rising 
 
 close to him, but which, if left alone, would be 
 
 sure to come very high to the forward guns ; and 
 
 not a shot did he fire at a single bird likely to 
 
 do this, and like a " good man," he sacrificed the 
 
 poor pleasure of killing a lot of easy birds, and thus 
 
 gave to his friends in front a series of difficult and 
 
 sporting shots. 
 
 The remainder of this season was filled up by pleasant 
 
 days with George Phillips at Balls Park, Sir Robert 
 
 Harvey at Langley Park, Slough, and with Sir Charles 
 
 Booth at Netherfield, Herts. 
 
 a 2 
 
84 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 1883. 
 
 The sport of this year opened with a month of March 
 fishing on the Aboyne water in connection with the 
 Huntly Arms Hotel. It snowed and froze the whole 
 time, and for many days we could not fish for the ice. 
 My brother-in-law, Captain John Malcolmson, V.C, was 
 with me, and our total score for the whole month was but 
 eighteen fish, the bulk of which fell to my minnow as 
 against his fly, and before either of us got a clean fish we 
 landed twenty -nine kelts. 
 
 On the 2nd April I met with a real good ducking 
 on the Glen Tana water, while fishing the Kirk Pot 
 in wading trousers from the north side. A large 
 piece of rock broke from under my feet, and I 
 flopped into some eight feet of rapid running water, 
 and on striking out, I could clearly see my feet above 
 my head. While fighting my hardest to reverse this 
 unsatisfactory position, I was banged against a piece of 
 projecting rock, and clinging on, was quickly out. I 
 had my pipe in my mouth as I fell in, but did not let 
 
LEAVES EEOM A GAME BOOK. 85 
 
 go, and neither was the rod parted with, which, perhaps, 
 had something to do with the poor progress made in 
 trying to swim. John Power, one of Sir W. Cunliffe 
 Brook's keepers, was with me that day, and wore a long, 
 woollen, navy blue sailor's jersey ; so, as the sun was 
 shining, I stripped and donned this garment, and ran up 
 and down the bank to keep myself warm, while the wet 
 ones, having been wrung out, were spread on a bush to 
 dry, when after a time to allow wind and sun to do 
 their work, I dressed again, and fished the day out. 
 
 This adventure set me thinking how to minimise 
 the danger that must present itself when anyone falls 
 into deep water with the trousers on ; and later in the 
 year, when the temperature was higher, I tried some 
 experiments out of a boat with a rope round me, 
 and many plunges into deep and running water were 
 made with the waders on. The conclusion was quickly 
 arrived at that it is far better to wear them un- 
 strapped round the waist, as they fill so much the 
 quicker when open ; and next I discovered that the 
 only way that I, by no means a strong swimmer, could 
 
86 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 keep afloat, was to turn on my back, draw the knees 
 as near to the chin as they would come, and with arms 
 fully extended, and mouth and nostrils but just clear 
 of the water, I found I could float a sufficient time to 
 let me paddle by degrees to shallow or bank. 
 
 On the 10th August I arrived at Raehills, near 
 Beattock, for a lengthy stay with an old friend. Captain 
 John Hope Johnstone, Cholmondeley Pennell and Captain 
 Gordon Hughes making up the party. This year the 
 " twelfth " fell on a Sunday, and as the 13th and few 
 days following were very wet, we did not fairly get at 
 the grouse until the 17th, when, shooting the Lochan- 
 head beat, we brought home fifty and a half brace, while 
 on the 20th we had other forty-five brace, and on the 
 24th Pennell and I had a pretty mixed bag of eleven 
 grouse, four black-cocks, twenty snipe, two teal, a hare, 
 and a rabbit. In these happy quarters I stayed till the 
 22nd September, during which time we had twenty-four 
 days of sport, many of them very wet, which yielded us 
 7 fallow bucks, 603 grouse, 26 black-cocks, 59 snipe, 79 
 partridges, 13 hares, and 7 ducks, or 814 head. We 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 87 
 
 also took many pounds weight of fine trout, as well 
 as three salmon, from the Annan, which runs for several 
 miles through this beautiful estate. The Eaehills venison 
 used to be the finest in the kingdom, and it is sad to 
 think this splendid herd of fallow deer no longer 
 exists, the exigencies of modern farming, combined 
 with the absence of any fenced park, necessitating their 
 removal. The Raehills bucks were savage fighters, and 
 on several occasions during my visit, directed to the spot 
 by the clashing of the horns, I was a hidden witness of 
 some fierce combats. Round after round was fought, 
 during which thrusts were given and parried with all 
 the quickness and grace of a couple of Parisian fencing 
 masters. Then, after this preliminary skirmishing, the 
 combatants, getting their horns well locked, would set 
 to work like two Cornish wrestlers, to struggle with each 
 other till the grip broke. Time after time this would be 
 repeated, until one buck, feeling he was getting the 
 worst of it, would turn tail and bolt, hotly pursued by 
 the victor. Every season these duels were fatal to one 
 or two of these fine stags, and, from what I witnessed 
 
88 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 at Raehills, I think the fallow buck is a bolder and fiercer 
 fighter than the red stag. As the Raehills Park is not 
 fenced off from the rest of the property, these bucks were 
 practically wild, and though easy enough to approach 
 when feeding on the grass lawns surrounding the house, 
 when once well away from that sanctuary they became 
 so exceeding wide awake as to offer difficult and 
 exciting wood - stalking, rarely indeed giving a fair 
 standing shot. 
 
 In these days rabbits abounded in great numbers at 
 Raehills, and once each season they were the occasion of 
 an odd match between two of our host's keepers and two 
 of his guests, the two former, each armed with a worn- 
 down old stable-fork, backing themselves for a supper to 
 make a better score than any two guests using their 
 guns. From being seldom disturbed, the rabbits sat out 
 freely in the long grass of the park and its policies, and 
 the contending parties, after tossing for upper or lower 
 side of the park, then separated. The two guns, with a 
 man behind each for carrying, walked hither and thither, 
 making the best kill they could, while the two keepers, 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 89 
 
 each wandering where lie liked, found the bunnies with 
 their eyes and pinned them on their seats w4th the 
 worn-down prong ; and, strange as it may read, the 
 keepers invariably won this match. 
 
 The 25 th September found me again at beloved 
 Corrour, and this season was certainly not a " missing " 
 one, for from the 26th September to the 11th October 
 Lucy and I put twenty-one fat stags into the larder, the 
 heaviest of which, a fine ten-pointer of 17 stone 10 lbs., 
 fell to the Purdey rifle of my host. In addition we got 
 a few ptarmigan and fifty brace of grouse, so it can be 
 seen we did not let the grass grow under our feet during 
 these thirteen days, in which must be included a Sunday 
 and two others on which the weather was absolutely too 
 bad to go out in. During this period Lucy killed eleven 
 of the twenty-one stags without making a miss, whilst 
 the other ten fell to my share, while each of us lost a 
 wounded one late in the day. 
 
 On October 2nd my " Game Book " records that Lucy 
 got a good stag in the sky-line above the Lodge, when, 
 after dragging him down to the track for the pony to 
 
90 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 fetch, he stalked "the Flat," there making a fine shot 
 at 250 yards at a heavy ten -pointer, who had so many 
 hinds with him that it was impossible to get any 
 nearer. 
 
 On the 10th of October I had a bit of luck when 
 coming home somewhat depressed after a blank day, for 
 when near the Sword Loch, on the East March of 
 Corrour, we heard two reports ring out from the sky- 
 line in front of us. This brought us at once to a 
 halt, and, pulling out the glasses, we soon saw our 
 neighbour. Lord Cowper (who in conjunction with Lord 
 Brownlow had rented Sir Robert Menzies' forest of 
 Rannoch that year), while, better still, we quickly dis- 
 covered he had missed a good stag, which we could also 
 see was galloping full steam ahead towards us. On that 
 day I had " young Allan " for stalker, who knew right 
 well the course the beast would take ; so, after making a 
 short run, we had only to keep still and wait, when in a 
 few minutes past us came the now slowly trotting stag, 
 exactly broadside on, and, the ball doing its duty, a few 
 minutes later saw us standing over a fat eight-pointer, 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 91 
 
 and thus what had promised to have been but a dismal 
 procession to the Lodge was turned into a rejoicing 
 tramp, for needless to say it is extra fun to get a stag 
 that someone else has missed a short time previously. 
 
 On the 15th of October I started for the south, never, 
 I fear, to see again the dear old lodge at Corrour, for 
 Lucy's lease ended this year, and he did not renew it. A 
 few years later the property was purchased from Colonel 
 Walker, the then owner, by Sir John Stirling Maxwell. 
 The old lodge has been condemned, and a new one is 
 being built on the shores of Loch Ossian, more in the 
 centre of the ground and close to the railway station ! 
 How strange that sounds to me, for in the days I write of 
 Loch Ossian was so solitary as to be quite out of reach of 
 tourist or angler, though now I suppose the inevitable 
 hotel will follow, and tourists and fishers will be all over 
 the place. 
 
 The Corrour estate, moreover, was full of legends 
 and memoirs of historical events. Here Charles Edward 
 wandered on Mealaneach, while the history of how 
 the Sword Loch won that name is quite a small story 
 
92 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 in itself. On those hills, also, Donald MacFinlay, the 
 celebrated deer-stalking bard, lived and died, and was 
 buried wrapped in a deer-hide and laid on the brow of a 
 hill overlooking Loch Treig, where, as he said, " the deer 
 could couch on his bed and the little calves rest by his 
 side." 
 
 The hill of Ben-y-Vricht and the Corrie of Corrie 
 Craegacht have likewise been famed for their deer from 
 the earliest days, and woe is me that I shall never 
 again tramp the rugged sides of either the one or the 
 other. 
 
 In the days gone by when I stalked at Corrour with 
 that good sportsman, the late Mr. Henry Spencer Lucy, 
 the whole ground was not afforested. Corrie Craegacht, 
 Corrie Vallich, Corrie-na-Cloich, with the Green Face, 
 which joined the forests of Ben Alder and Rannoch, 
 was the whole of the cleared ground, and there it was 
 that most of our deer were got. Ben Eibhein (3611 
 feet) and Ben-na-Lapt (3060 feet) have both been put 
 under deer since those days, which has made the present 
 kill nearly double what it was in Lucy's time, when two 
 
LEAVES FHOM A GAME BOOK. 93 
 
 rifles used to average twenty -five stags a season, scaling 
 about 14 stone 12 lbs. quite clean. The heads were 
 unusually stout, wild, rough, and black, for before the 
 adjacent forest of Mamore was entirely surrounded by 
 wire by the late Mr. Thistlethwaite, the hinds of Corrour 
 found mates from there, from the Black Mount, Ben 
 Alder, and Ardverikie, so that no ground could possibly 
 be better placed for insuring an incessant change of 
 blood, while the hind ground of the lower lying parts 
 of Corrour was ever doing good service as a nursery 
 for the young stags of all the adjoining forests. In the 
 rutting season, before the Mamore wire was put up, so 
 continuous was the passing to and fro of stags that old 
 Allan MacCallum, who lived at Corrour Lodge during 
 the shooting season, ever kept a sharp and early look- 
 out " across the flat," over which the Black Mount deer 
 were wont to travel, and more than once Allan was in 
 time to wake his master and get him into the pass 
 leading to Corrie Craegacht, for which the deer usually 
 made, and so secure a good shot. On these occasions 
 Lucy, forced into a hasty toilette, merely pulled on his 
 
H LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 knickerbockers, and hurrying a covert coat over his 
 night-shirt, with stockingless feet thrust into a pair of 
 ** hardy brogues," in this get-up he presented an appear- 
 ance at which we had many a hearty laugh. 
 
 At the east end of Corrour, and now, I believe, in 
 view of the railway to Fort William, is the celebrated 
 Loch-an-Chlaidhame, or Sword Loch, and as thousands 
 of tourists will now view it from the train, while perhaps 
 some even will stroll rod in hand around its peaty banks, 
 the story of how the loch won its name fully deserves a 
 notice, the more so as the facts are well authenticated. 
 In the middle, then, of the sixteenth century, Cameron 
 of Lochiel owned Ben-y-Vricht, with Corrour and most 
 of the land adjacent. Between him and the Earl of 
 Athol there existed a long-standing dispute as to their 
 marches and grazing rights on certain of the eastern 
 slopes of Ben-y-Vricht, which were then, even as they 
 are now, famed for rich pasturage ; hence, many were 
 the sanguinary petty fights continually taking place 
 over this disputed point between the followers of the 
 two lairds. It happened that Lochiel met the Earl of 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 95 
 
 Athol by chance in Perth, when the Earl, expressing 
 his regret at the constant loss of life entailed by the 
 dispute, proposed that they should meet on the property 
 in question, each accompanied by but two retainers, 
 and then and there on the spot endeavour to settle the 
 doubtful boundaries in a friendly manner. To such a 
 reasonable offer Lochiel at once consented, and accord- 
 ingly on the day before the meeting he, with his two 
 vassals, started from their home in Lochaber, in order 
 to arrive at the trysting-place in good time. On his 
 way he met the wise woman of Moy, who, on hearing 
 his errand, commanded him to turn back and collect 
 " three-score and five " of his stoutest warriors and take 
 them with him. In those times no one dreamt of 
 disputing the orders of a reputed wise woman or 
 witch ; therefore Lochiel did as he was instructed, and 
 then, setting forth once more, he concealed the whole 
 of his retinue except two in a hollow near the meeting 
 ground. 
 
 Before leaving them to confront the Earl, he explained 
 the purpose of his journey, and then, holding up a cloak, 
 
96 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 he showed them it was grey on one side, and scarlet on 
 the other ; and telling them he should approach the 
 Earl wearing the grey side out, which would instantly 
 be reversed to scarlet at the least sign of treachery, he 
 bade them keep a sharp look out to be ready to come 
 to his aid should the necessifcy arise. 
 
 Exactly at midday the two chieftains met, each with 
 his two attendants ; then began the discussion, which, 
 although commencing in the most amicable manner, by 
 degrees developed into a heated one, and at last into 
 downright hot, rude words. Suddenly the Earl waved 
 his bonnet, at which signal fifty fully-armed Athol men 
 bounded into sight from behind a hill that had hidden 
 them. Sternly Lochiel demanded of the Earl what these 
 men might mean, receiving for reply, " They are but 
 fifty Athol wedders come to graze on Ben-y-Yricht, so 
 now, Lochiel, I have you in my power, and submit you 
 must to my terms." 
 
 While the Earl was making this declaration with 
 mocking politeness, Lochiel had turned his cape, at which 
 signal his sixty-five men dashed from their hiding-place 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 97 
 
 to the support of their beloved chief, who, turning on 
 the Earl sword in hand, retorted in the same spirit, 
 " And here are sixty -five Lochaber dogs, each one athirst 
 to taste the blood of your Athol wedders." 
 
 As the Lochaber men were nearer to the chieftains 
 than the Athol people, the Earl saw at a glance it would 
 be folly to engage so superior a force with a certainty 
 of being himself the first man killed ; therefore, changing 
 his tone, he frankly admitted Lochiel had outwitted him, 
 and, consenting to yield all points in dispute, he then 
 and there swore on the hilt of his sword — in those days 
 the Highlander's most solemn form of oath — that he 
 would renounce all claim to the grazings of Ben-y-Vricht, 
 in token of which he hurled his sword into the loch, 
 ** to remain for ever there as an acknowledgment of this 
 compact." 
 
 In the year 1826, this very sword, or all that remained 
 of it, was picked out of the loch in a season of great 
 drought by the son of the Caimb herd, who took it to 
 a collector of ancient relics, the Rev. Dr. Ross, of Kil- 
 monivaig. The story, however, got noised abroad, and 
 
98 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 shortly afterwards the reverend gentleman was waited 
 on by twelve Lochaber men, who demanded back the 
 sword as being a landmark which no one had any right 
 to remove, and on obtaining it, what remained of the 
 rusted basket hilt and a few inches of blade were once 
 more replaced in the loch with much solemnity. 
 
 During this autumn came many happy days at Hall 
 Barn, Langley Park, Denham Place (the late Ben Way's), 
 and Balls Park, where we had one special day of 725 
 head, chiefly pheasants, our party being, in addition to 
 our host, and his brother, Hal Phillips, Lord Greville, 
 Brydges Willyams, Sir George Prescott, Edward Henty, 
 Captain Parker, of Ware Park (an extra good pheasant 
 shot), Frank Lawson and Colonel Blair. Formidable 
 as ten guns may sound, we were none too many, for 
 Balls Wood covers an oblong area of 200 acres, cut 
 into chessboard rides ; permitting, therefore, the guarding 
 of all the four sides of every beat. 
 
 On the 30th of November, when shooting at Denham 
 Place> I was stationed at the end of an osier bed, which 
 was being beaten towards me. At my feet ran a fine 
 
LEA^TIS FROM A GAME BOOK. 99 
 
 trout stream, and as my eyes explored the water, they 
 caught sight of a pike of about six pounds lying near 
 the surface ; so, thinking he was a customer that would 
 not be wanted in a trout preserve, I shot at him, or 
 rather below him, while as this was done a cock pheasant 
 rose and came high over me, to be laid low by the 
 other barrel ; and thus I brought off an unusual 
 "double," for the pike came floating down stream to 
 me, barely kicking, and was pulled ashore with my 
 gun barrels. 
 
 fi 2 
 
100 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 1884. 
 
 On the lOth of February I arrived, with my brother- 
 in-law, Capt. Malcolmson, V.C., at "The Cottage," 
 Banchory, on Deeside, to fish the Kineskie and Upper 
 Crathes water, which I had rented for the spring from 
 the late Sir Robert Burnett. It was a cheap fishing 
 (sixty pounds I think was the rent, there or thereabouts, 
 but I cannot be quite sure). This stretch of water had, 
 however, often lacked a tenant for the early months, as 
 spring fish did not rest in it. It had, however, never 
 been fished with the natural minnow, and I took it solely 
 with the view of giving that lure a good trial amidst 
 running fish, as I held the opinion that though travel- 
 ling ones will rarely halt to look at a fly, yet they will 
 often stop to swallow a good fat minnow. The latter 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 101 
 
 half of February being beautifully mild, with the water 
 in good order, to my surprise Malcolmson, sticking 
 entirely to the fly, got fourteen fish in twelve days 
 against my thirteen to lures of all sorts, the twenty- 
 seven averaging nine and a half pounds. In addition 
 to this we also hauled ashore and returned to the water 
 unhurt just eighty kelts. This somewhat shook my 
 faith in the minnow, but being obliged to go south, I 
 sublet the water for the month of March to three 
 brothers of the name of Hoare. From that moment 
 the weather changed, turning cold and frosty with 
 heavy falls of snow, so that when I returned to 
 Banchory on the 1st of April — auspicious day ! — with 
 my friend Sam Barker for my guest, I was horrified to 
 learn that the take for the whole of March had been 
 but five fish to the three rods. 
 
 Reaching Banchory on Tuesday, April 1st, we were 
 quickly on the river, and came home with a fish each ; 
 for the thaw commenced from that day, and things went 
 better for sport. Barker left me on the 10th, having 
 killed six fish ; while at the end of the month I top 
 
102 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 came south, for the hill snows had long since vanished, 
 while cold east wind, with bright days and frosty nights, 
 reduced the river to summer level and ended all chance 
 of getting sport. That state of affairs lasted through 
 May, June and July, so that this was one of the worst 
 seasons ever known on Deeside. During the month of 
 April I got twenty-two fish solely by the aid of the 
 minnow ; and as, after Barker left me on the 10th, there 
 was more water than I could cover alone, my two gillies 
 fished every day with fly, and while I took twelve fish, 
 they captured but three between them. Both these men 
 w^ere extra good with the rod and knew every stone in 
 the river, and anyone at Banchory will confirm me when 
 I say that Bremner and Dawson were (and no doubt still 
 are) two good hard-working men. Altogether on this 
 water I totalled up sixty-six fish, averaging nine and a 
 half pounds ; and all things considered, I was quite 
 satisfied. 
 
 On August the 11th I arrived at Elibank-on-Tweed 
 on a visit to Barker, and the 12th I shall never forget, 
 for we had no sooner reached our highest ground — 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 103 
 
 which, if I remember rightly, was some eighteen hundred 
 feet above sea level — than we were overtaken by the 
 most violent thunderstorm it has ever been my lot 
 to witness. As the tempest reached us we hid our 
 guns in the heather, and, moving some distance away, 
 fell flat on our faces to watch with anxious eyes the 
 black clouds charged with electricity come rolling up 
 over the top of the hill we were on. The lightning 
 was so close to us that it did not seem to flash, as it 
 does when viewed from a distance, but the clouds 
 simply appeared to open with one great blaze of vivid 
 light, the report following the next second. The light- 
 ning twice ploughed up the peat close to us, while we 
 afterwards learnt that some sheep sheltering under a 
 rock not two hundred yards from where we crouched 
 were all killed. At the first abatement of the storm we 
 made a bolt in a bee-line for Elibank, glad to reach 
 it uninjured — a feeling which was accentuated when 
 in the evening we heard that Lord Lauderdale had 
 been killed by lightning some ten miles away, and I 
 have but little doubt that, had we been as rash as 
 
104 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 he was, we should most likely have shared a similar 
 fate ; for while his lordship's keepers were all flat on 
 their faces during the height of the storm, their master, 
 though urged by them to take up a similar position, 
 paid no heed to the tempest, and mounting his pony 
 on the bare hill top, he had hardly started homewards 
 ere they were both struck, the pony falling dead, 
 although his lordship lingered in a state of unconscious- 
 ness for a few hours. 
 
 The 13th was fine, all traces of the storm having 
 vanished, and we got 20 brace of grouse that day, 
 which was a good bag for the place, there being but a 
 little over a thousand acres of heather. In eleven days' 
 shooting we totalled 328 head, made up of 253 grouse, 
 43 black - game, 12 hares, 9 snipe, and 11 rabbits. 
 Elibank Cottage is prettily placed high up over the 
 Tweed, though, to my mind, rather too much shut in by 
 trees. The river is said to yield good trouting, but 
 certain it is they were not to be caught in the month 
 of August by any blandishments my host or I could 
 offer. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 105 
 
 The 1st of September found me again at Balls Park, 
 and after the usual happy time there, the 12th saw me 
 arriving at Invermark by Brechin, in Forfarshire, on a 
 visit to the late Sir Robert Bateson Harvey; his two 
 sons, Grenville and Charles, with Thomas Kennard, 
 making up the party. In the seven days I had here 
 we put into the larder 11 stags, 291 grouse, 7 black- 
 cocks, 5 partridges, 15 hares, and 5 rabbits; while of the 
 grouse 157 were got in a day's driving on the 20th. On 
 the 22nd it was my turn to miss the forest, and when 
 I returned home in the evening with twenty-two brace 
 of grouse, I found the stalkers had been in good luck, 
 for Grenville and Charles Harvey and Kennard had each 
 got two stags. 
 
 Going south once more, I had further pleasant days 
 at Hall Barn and Burnham Beeches, till, on the 20th, 
 I found myself the guest of Charles Eley at Stody 
 Lodge, Melton Constable, where in four days five of 
 us got 279 partridges, 44 pheasants, and 16 various. 
 Then, in November, I was again Mr. Eley's guest for 
 a couple of days' partridge driving at East Bergholt, 
 
106 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 near Colchester. That expedition finished, on the 17th 
 of the month Balls Park welcomed me again ; and on 
 the 18th ten of us got 853 head, chiefly pheasants. 
 Then came more days at most of the places already 
 mentioned, and altogether during this season I had 
 just over eighty days with my gun, and as the whole 
 of it is but about 150 days, it was a pretty good 
 allowance. 
 
 1885. 
 
 The llth of February found me once more rod in 
 hand, and renting the Kineskie and Upper Crathes 
 water of the Dee. The opening day proved a real good 
 one, as in the evening five fish from the Kineskie water, 
 all taken with natural minnow, were laid out on the 
 stone slab at our front door. Then down came the frost 
 to stop all sport from the 13th to the 23rd, and 
 during these ten days the river was frozen, and there 
 was nothing to be done but watch the clouds and the 
 aneroid, while trying to forget, in the fascinations of 
 curling, that there was a salmon river near at hand. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GA3IE BOOK. 107 
 
 When the thaw did come, it was very sudden, and 
 the ice broke up before the river rose much, and large 
 floes of great thickness were carried headlong down the 
 quick-running streams. 
 
 On the day the thaw began I took my rod on to 
 Kineskie water with Gillie Bremner, in the hopes of 
 finding a clear space for a cast or two, but the ice 
 was so broken up and scattered all over the water, 
 that I gave it up as hopeless. While walking home 
 along the bank, I saw what I took to be a dead kelt, 
 lying in a few feet of water ; so, with a view to 
 interment, it was pulled ashore by the gaff, when, lo 
 and behold ! it was found to be a quite clean-run fish, 
 to which the only apparent damage was a blow on the 
 nose, clearly caused by meeting a big lump of ice. 
 Further down we found a second one with exactly the 
 same injury, and from this it would seem that when 
 ice breaks up in great blocks before there is any 
 large rise in the river, then a good few running fish 
 are sure to be killed in this way. 
 
 The thaw was of course followed by the usual floods, 
 
108 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 and on tlie 7th March I had to go south with a score 
 of twenty-two fish to the minnow, and other ten got 
 by Bremner with the fly. I then let the water for a 
 month to Captain Upton Gaskell, and he got twenty- 
 eight fish. After that Mr. C. Wollaston had it for the 
 next month, with a result of twenty-five fish ; and in 
 May he was succeeded by Mr. A. M. Aitken, who scored 
 twenty fish ; while in June and July Mr. Wollaston fished 
 it again and got forty-two salmon and grilse, with 
 thirteen large sea trout, the total being 138 salmon and 
 grilse for the season, which I believe still remains the 
 best take ever made on this water in the spring and 
 summer fishing. 
 
 The 12th of August found me once more with Barker 
 at Elibank, and the whole of that day it deluged so 
 heavily that we did not go out. As the moor was small, 
 while the weather kept broken, we picked our days, so 
 only went shooting on those that were dry, and thus in 
 just a dozen days we bagged 361 grouse, with some 
 black-game, snipe, and hares, making up the total to 
 415 head. 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAIME BOOK. 109 
 
 Going south again, I had five days at Balls Park, 
 during which time we got just 100 brace of birds, 
 and then the 14th of September found me again at 
 Invermark, our party including Martyn Kennard and 
 G. E. Gladstone. On the 16th and 21st we had grouse 
 drives, and on each of these occasions I was unlucky 
 enough to draw a bad number. On the first day there 
 was a very high wind, which sent the few birds that did 
 come to the butts at a pace requiring very good shooting 
 to stop them. As hardly any birds came to my butt, 
 I began to count the shots, and when I ceased it had 
 taken just 186 cartridges to put exactly sixty birds into 
 the bag. The first drive directly down wind took 
 seventy -three cartridges for fifteen birds ; at the second 
 and third drives, on a cross wind, sixty-seven shots 
 brought in a return of twenty-five birds ; while the fourth 
 and fifth drives, nearly directly up wind, required only 
 forty-two discharges for twenty birds ; and a comparison 
 of the result of the last drives, as compared with the 
 first one, will open the eyes of my readers to the vast 
 difierence there is in the speed of any bird flying 
 
no LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 with or against a strong wind, and on this particular 
 day I should say the shooters, as a body, were above 
 the average. 
 
 On the 18th Gladstone killed his first stag, stalking 
 with John Mitchell on the South Beat of the forest, while 
 on the same day I got 105 bunnies, ferreting the rocks 
 on the side of Loch Lee. On starting for my trip, Sir 
 Robert asked me if I would use some lightly loaded 
 cartridges he kept expressly for this rabbit shooting. 
 I think he said they held 36 grains of E.G. and three- 
 quarters of an ounce of No. 5. At first I was somewhat 
 loath to discard my own cartridges of Schultz — 42 grains 
 1 oz. No. 5, " Field Loading " — but on hearing that the 
 bunnies had perforce to be shot at somewhat close 
 quarters, on account of their holes being so numerous 
 and so near together, I at once assented. The first 
 shot I fired gave me an astonishingly hard blow on 
 the cheek and shoulder, and nearly deafened me, so 
 much so that I immediately told the keeper I would 
 use no more of these cartridges, and that he must 
 return to the house and get me some of my own. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK, 111 
 
 This seemed to annoy him somewhat, and as there 
 was a grin on his face which appeared to imply I 
 was making a fuss about nothing, I reloaded and told 
 him to fire a shot for himself, and right cheerfully he 
 obeyed ; but when, after pulling the trigger, the gun 
 flew out of his hands and he found himself with a 
 bleeding cheekbone and singing ears, he realised that 
 there was something really amiss. " I'm just fairly 
 dazed, sir," said he ; " what sort of powd.er can it be ? " 
 Then, suspecting the cause, I questioned him as to where 
 the cartridges had been kept, and learned that, fearing 
 they might have become damp, he always put them each 
 night on the kitchen hob ! On hearing this, I spread 
 them out on wet grass and covered them over with damp 
 moss, and thus we left them for fully an hour while we 
 strolled about. Then, with fear and trembling, I fired 
 another shot, when the explosion was of the usual and 
 normal kind, and I went on shooting till I had got 105* 
 rabbits without anything unpleasant again occurring. 
 This contretemps only shows how highly dangerous nitro 
 powders become if deprived of all moisture, and how 
 
112 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 quickly they absorb the quantity necessary to make them 
 safe when exposed but a very short time to damp 
 surroundings. 
 
 On this same day Martyn Kennard also met with a 
 curious incident whilst stalking the North Beat with 
 Macgregor, for after killing his stag, the forester asked 
 him as a favour to come some quarter of a mile out of 
 his way to enable him to visit a fox trap which had 
 been set some days. It was baited with part of a 
 gralloch, and owing to several consecutive days of fine 
 weather, Macgregor had been so busy stalking that he 
 had not been able to find time to visit it. Consent was 
 readily given, when on getting to the spot there they 
 found a splendid golden eagle not very long dead, for 
 it was quite warm when taken out of the trap ; it had 
 been caught by the claw only, and it seemed extra- 
 ordinary that so powerful a bird had not been able to 
 free himself in his struggles. Clearly he had died of 
 exhaustion in his efforts to regain his liberty and not 
 of starvation, for within reach of him, partly eaten, were 
 two grouse and a blue hare quite freshly killed. These 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 113 
 
 could only have been brought to the captive by 
 other eagles — an almost unique instance, I think, of 
 sagacious affection on the part of his comrades, and one 
 which appealed to the hearts of us all. It was a splendid 
 full-grown bird, whose melancholy end caused Sir Robert 
 much regret ; for, by the wish of Lord Dalhousie, from 
 whom the forest was rented, every effort was made to 
 preserve these beautiful birds, so rapidly becoming extinct 
 — a wish in which his tenant most heartily joined, while 
 taking every possible care to have it carried out. 
 
 At our grouse drive on the 20th I drew rather too 
 good a place and got peppered at pretty close quarters, 
 just thirteen pellets of No. 6 shot being lodged in head, 
 face and neck, so I can speak with feeling confidence of 
 the penetration of Purdey's guns. The sensation of 
 being struck by many shot at close quarters is a 
 peculiar one and more stunning than painful, and putting 
 me in mind of a very heavy box on the ear, for a 
 perfect knowledge of which feeling at the early age of 
 eleven I was indebted to the Reverend Joseph Newton, 
 at one time a master at Brighton College. Perhaps I 
 
114 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 deserved all I received, but tlie Eeverend Joseph lost 
 his temper with me one day when delivering a science 
 lecture to a large class, for during its progress I made 
 a nice little pellet of blotting paper about the size of 
 an S.S.G. shot, which, being impaled on the end of a 
 pen and well soaked in ink, was flicked with the fore- 
 finger as a sign of contempt at a boy I had agreed to 
 fight as soon as the class was over. Alas ! the missile 
 went wrong, for instead of passing behind the lecturer, 
 it lodged on his white shirt front. He was a strong, 
 active man, a first-class fives player, who, instantly 
 detecting from whence the black matter came, stooped 
 low, with his left leg well in advance of his right, and 
 struck me two blows on the ear with all his might, 
 and just as if he had been hitting at a fives ball. 
 These blows reduced me to such a dazed and stupid 
 condition that my fight had to be put off", and it was 
 not for some days afterwards that I recovered from 
 their effect. The condition of helplessness I was then 
 reduced to came back to me as these thirteen pellets 
 struck me ; it happened, however, to be the last drive 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 115 
 
 before lunch, so after washing and being examined by 
 all the party, in which they were assisted by an old 
 shepherd's wife, who was anxious I should undress and 
 show her there were no other wounds, I stayed out 
 for the remainder of the day. The whole baker's dozen 
 of shot are still carried about with me, for those pellets 
 that struck fleshy parts buried themselves, and those that 
 hit on bone or muscle are so firmly fixed that I have 
 never had them removed. During the eight days of sport 
 at Invermark, the bag was 10 stags, 350 grouse, with 236 
 rabbits and some sundries ; and when I left on the 23rd 
 of September, 1840 brace of grouse and 40 stags had 
 been killed that season. 
 
 From here I went on to visit Brydges Willyams at 
 Park House, on the Dee — a charming place, with an 
 ideal stretch of autumn fishing, much of which can be 
 cast without wading, and yielding many heavy salmon. 
 Here luck attended my advent, for on the veiy day on 
 which I put in an appearance the river came into good 
 ply for the first time that autumn. We came in with 
 ten good fish, and I had the pleasure of seeing the first 
 
 I 2 
 
116 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 two I hooked landed respectively by Mrs. Brydges 
 Willyams and Mrs. Powell, neither of whom had ever 
 handled a salmon before, and right well they did the 
 business. During the eight days that I fished the Park 
 water the river was in a very unsettled state, but never- 
 theless we managed to land 43 salmon, averaging 15 lbs., 
 nearly all having sea lice on them. Out of this total 
 my host (who is a very keen and good fisher) and I 
 tied with eighteen each, the Kev. Hyde Smith accounting 
 for the other seven. 
 
 I had one specially good day on the Keith pool when 
 it was in grand order. This is a deep long pool just 
 below Durris bridge ; every yard of it has to be cast, 
 while on that day salmon of all sizes were showing every 
 minute. Commencing with a " Glen Tana," one victim 
 was landed ; then the " Grey Heron," used for the second 
 time of going over the pool, gave a like result ; then 
 two flies were followed by the natural minnow, and all 
 for nothing. Next, as it was a darkish day, " The 
 Gordon " had a turn, when one more fish came to bank 
 before luncheon. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 117 
 
 Beginning work again with the " Gordon," another 
 captive to its fascinations was landed. As it was now 
 past three o'clock, the " Yellow Eagle " was given a 
 chance, but produced nothing. Then the minnow again 
 had an opportunity, and two other fish were unable to 
 resist its attractions. This made up the half-dozen, of 
 28, 23, 12, 10, 10 and 8 lbs. On the very same day 
 my host, fishing in the upper water and using fly only, 
 tied me with six other fish, with almost exactly the 
 same weights. All these twelve fish had sea lice on 
 them, and when laid out on the billiard table (the cloth 
 had vanished long before my friends took possession), 
 they made the best show of autumn fish I ever saw. 
 
 There is one distinct advantage the minnow has 
 over the fly, and that is the proved attraction it 
 possesses for *' travellers." These it is well known will 
 rarely halt for a mouthful of feathers, though that is 
 not at all the case when the lure is a good fat minnow. 
 This bait will also do well on frosty mornings while ice 
 is yet on the edges of the pools, and all anglers are 
 aware that to fish a fly under such circumstances is 
 
118 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 hopeless. Why this should be the case is a mystery, but 
 long experience has taught fishermen to accept the fact 
 as gospel. Once when fishing a fly one April day over 
 " Birkenbad," on the Upper Crathes water of the Dee, 
 a small company of running fish could be seen making 
 their way up stream over the shallow at the tail of the 
 pool, while shortly afterwards they began to splash as 
 they passed out at the head of it. Convinced that these 
 fish must have seen and declined my fly, I instantly 
 took the minnow rod in hand to land two fish in double 
 quick time ; then running up stream at best pace, the 
 company of fish was headed at the top of " Floating 
 Bank," where other two were brought ashore, while the 
 rest of them could be seen continuing their journey 
 upwards, so once again getting ahead of them by racing 
 to " Chapel of Ease," one more was accounted for, and 
 then I could follow no further, for they had quitted my 
 water. 
 
 Now with a fly I am sure not one of those fish 
 could have been captured, though by the aid of the 
 merry minnow what would have been a blank day was 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 119 
 
 turned into a red-letter one, for on the lower readies of 
 the Dee it is a rare event for anyone to ta,ke five clean 
 spring fish in one day out of any waters lying below 
 Banchory Bridge. 
 
 During this April I also made a very remarkable 
 catch of a fourteen-pounder out of " The Sandy 
 Havens " on the Kineskie water, landing my fish 
 without a hook in him ! It gave me a splendid run, 
 and on eventually gaffing it we discovered it was not 
 hooked at all ; it had only come at the minnow in a 
 half-hearted way, and in turning from it the lure had 
 swung under one of the pectoral fins, while the triangle 
 catching over the line drew a loop round the base of 
 the fin, which had pulled so tight that it took longer 
 to disentangle than if the hook had been in the usual 
 place. 
 
 During November came more sport at Stoke Court 
 with Mr. Allhusen, at Hall Barn and Burnham Beeches ; 
 also three very nice days of partridge driving with 
 Charles Eley at East Bergholt, Edward Quilter, Berkeley 
 Lucy, and Col. Halford making up the party, all of 
 
120 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 whom could hold pretty straight, and we got 220 
 partridges, 20 pheasants, 24 hares, with some rabbits — 
 a good bag considering 600 brace of birds had already 
 been taken off the ground. 
 
 The first of December found me staying with 
 Brydges Willyams at his beautiful place, Camanton, 
 near St. Columb, in Cornwall. His brother Arthur, 
 Sir George Prescott, and Colonel Villiers Bagot com- 
 pleted the party, who in the three following days 
 bagged 459 head, chiefly pheasants. The Carnanton 
 pheasants do not rise exactly at one's toes, for the 
 covers are nearly all hanging ones, and as the guns 
 are placed in the valleys, many birds pass over the 
 heads of the shooters actually out of reach, so that 
 the killing of 400 pheasants here is fully equal to the 
 sport afforded by double that quantity of birds sent 
 to the guns without due judgment from flat covers. 
 On the 4th our party broke up, I staying on for a 
 few days to try the marsh belonging to Lord Falmouth, 
 but let for many years past to my host. On the 
 first day I took off* it 5 wild ducks, 26 teal, and 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 121 
 
 22 snipe, a total which will make anyone keen at 
 marsh work long for a similar chance. 
 
 On quitting Cornwall, there came more days at Hall 
 Barn, Balls Park, and Netherfield, till on the 25th of 
 January I went to Charlecote Park to finish up the 
 season with Spencer Lucy. On the 27th we went 
 over to Ragley Hall to shoot with Lord Hertford, 
 and on a very wet day in a very big wood nine of us 
 got 346 head, chiefly rabbits. This day, in addition 
 to being very wet, was also close and still and inclined 
 to fog, and I have never before or since seen such a 
 vivid exposition of the difference in smoke caused by 
 black and nitro powders. At one beat I was placed 
 between two " black men " — to the best of my recol- 
 lection, Col. Drummond Murray and Col. Heywood — 
 and the bunnies coming fast, their combined fire 
 speedily stopped my being able to see, and a short 
 time afterwards they themselves, so dense was the 
 smoke, were obliged to call the " cease fire." 
 
 On the 28th, Spencer Lucy, with his brother 
 Berkeley, Col. Paulet, C. G. Lefroy, and_ myself, killed 
 
122 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 out of a nine-acre cover, third time through, 20 cock 
 pheasants, 11 partridges, 11 hares, and 224 rabbits; 
 while the next day Lucy and I had a pretty mixed 
 bag of seven different sorts, viz., 8 wild ducks, 1 
 widgeon, 4 cock pheasants, 3 partridges, 7 hares, 8 
 rabbits, and 2 wood-pigeons. 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 128 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 1886. 
 
 The first sport that came my way this season was 
 enjoyed as the guest of Mr. B. Lancaster Rose at the 
 Huntly Arms Hotel, Aboyne — an excellent house for 
 comfort, while the daily beat told oflf to each angler 
 was (and still is) a good big one, containing quite as 
 many pools as could be comfortably fished in the day, 
 and at certain heights of water very good sport is often 
 to be had on this section. On this occasion, however, 
 "she" was "a' wrang," and from April the 5th to the 
 14th four of us took but twelve fish, while here again 
 the natural minnow came out best, for of the total 
 catch, just one half fell to my rod, the other three 
 fishers having stood by the fly. Next, from the 15th 
 to the 21st, I stayed with Turner Farley in his 
 
124 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 bungalow at Cairnton, some two miles above Banchory. 
 Here, likewise, we did not do much better than at 
 Aboyne, as six days yielded only twelve captives — 
 four to my host's rod, four to mine, and four to that 
 of David Rae, the fisherman — which was a poor return 
 for this justly famed and beautiful stretch of water, 
 which for its extent is perhaps the best reach in all 
 Deeside, as it is " good " from the opening day of the 
 season right up to the closing one. 
 
 August the 12th found me again at Elibank, where 
 in ten days shooting my host and I got 348 head, 
 of which 324 were grouse. On the 20th of August, 
 as the shepherd had to gather his sheep off the hill, 
 we quitted Elibank on a trouting expedition to Loch 
 Leven, when, on reaching Kinross that evening, we both 
 became somewhat depressed by the numbers of other 
 anglers staying in the hotel, for this was our first 
 experience of this famed loch ; and thus it came to pass, 
 on the morning following our advent, we wended our 
 way to the waterside with no great keenness. 
 
 On arriving at the pier and boat-house, from which 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 125 
 
 all anglers must start, a hearty welcome was given us 
 by a white-haired old Scotchman, who told us all the 
 other boats were away long since. Then conducting 
 us to a lengthy wooden building, he booked our names 
 and the time of our start ; and that ceremony ended, he 
 proceeded to enquire if we were in want of tackle or 
 flies, and directing our attention to the walls of the 
 room, there we saw hanging from nails many rows of 
 casting lines, each ready mounted with four flies, for 
 on Loch Leven it is the rule to use that number. 
 As most of these casts contained one or two of the 
 favourite flies for the loch, such as the " Zulu " and 
 the "Hecham Pecham," we purchased plentifully, as 
 the gut appeared good and cheap. Then we went to 
 our boat, and to our astonishment we saw Loch Leven 
 was anything but the small sheet of water of our 
 imagination. Why we had pictured it as insignificant, 
 goodness only knows, but we had so, and were agree- 
 ably disappointed at viewing a fine big piece of water, 
 which we learnt from the guide books covered more 
 than three thousand acres. As for the crowd of fishers, 
 
126 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 there were but four boats in sight, the others being 
 hidden in distant bays or by Queen Mary's Isle. On 
 our boatmen expressing a wish "to pull west," we 
 consented, so putting their backs into the business, we 
 were soon three miles from the starting place ; then 
 they turned the boat broadside to the breeze, shipped 
 their oars, and while producing their pipes the head 
 man broke silence by saying : " Now, gentlemen, fish 
 away, for it should be a good day." 
 
 We were both soon at work, the trout rising freely, 
 and although we were both old hands at loch fishing, 
 we missed hooking a good many, when in reply to an 
 enquiry as to whether the fish were not coming very 
 short that morning, we got for answer : " Oh, no, sir, 
 not at all, but ye don't strike hard or sharp enough 
 for this loch." The hint being taken, from that time 
 on we hooked nearly every fish that rose, and it became 
 evident Loch Leven trout were quicker in their rise 
 and sharper in detecting the falsity of the lure than 
 the trout of other Scotch lochs, and to make a basket 
 the angler must strike quickly and almost roughly. 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 127 
 
 After drifting some three-quarters of a mile from the 
 shore, the rises became few and far between ; the water 
 looked to us too black and deep for successful fishing, 
 but nevertheless, on hinting this, our boatmen assured 
 us to the contrary, while puffing their 'bacca. Con- 
 tinuing to flog away, nothing came until we neared the 
 shore, to which the wind was drifting us, and then as 
 soon as we passed into shallower water the fish again 
 commenced to rise. At the end of this long drift we 
 landed for lunch with sixteen trout, weighing thirteen 
 pounds, and as soon as our men were out of hearing, 
 we resolved to make but short drifts and keep near 
 the shore ; but as this entailed harder work, against 
 which our boatmen set their faces, we found it necessary 
 to promise them something extra if they would work 
 as we wished. This had the desired effect, while so 
 well did our plan answer that on reaching the pier 
 in the evening we had other thirty-one, or a total 
 of forty-seven, averaging a fraction under a pound 
 each. Delighted with our sport, we returned to our 
 hotel with very altered ideas of Loch Leven fishing, 
 
128 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 which we now voted to be well arranged and devoid 
 of cockney surroundings. 
 
 Now, we had arranged to return to Elibank on a 
 Saturday, so as to start at the grouse again on 
 the Monday, but both of us being "bitten" by the 
 fishing, we agreed to defer our departure till Monday, 
 there being as usual no trains running on Sunday. 
 Thus, when the Sabbath morning arrived, we passed 
 the greater part of the day strolling round the loch 
 side, where, of course, as it was not a fishing day, 
 the trout were. rising furiously. Then at the fearfully 
 early hour of six o'clock we had to take our seats 
 at the table d'hote. This we had been most specially 
 asked — I might almost say commanded — to do by 
 the hotel keeper, for he let us see pretty plainly there 
 would be ** a deeficulty " in having dinner served in 
 our own room on the Sabbath. Of course we had 
 " white fish " (boiled haddocks), roast beef and stewed 
 prunes, three questionable luxuries which appear to be 
 indispensable at all Scotch table d'hdte dinners. The 
 company was pleasant enough, so much so that at the 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 129 
 
 end of the repast we followed the rest into the smoking 
 room, where naturally trouting talk was the only topic 
 of conversation, while whiskey, hot, cold and with 
 " sodda watter," lent embellishing aid to many of the 
 stories. 
 
 In the assembly in which we found ourselves, three 
 friends in particular attracted every one's attention by 
 narratives of how they had caught heavier and larger 
 numbers of trout than any one else ; the trio were also 
 apparently great at all athletic feats, one of them 
 loudly relating a story of a leap so extraordinary as 
 to call forth from a listener an exclamation of 
 " Impossible, sir ! it could not be done." 
 
 On him the teller of the story turned fiercely, 
 retorting in angry tones, " Pray, sir, do you doubt my 
 word ? " 
 
 ** Oh, no, not at all," replied the other. " I only 
 feel sure you must have made a mista,ke in the 
 details." 
 
 " Oh, do you ? You little know what we can do 
 till you see for yourself," answered the athlete, who 
 
180 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 rose to his feet, thereby concentrating all attention 
 on himself, while in loud tones he continued, " Look 
 here, sir, if you would like to see an exhibition of 
 what a really active man can do in the way of leaping, 
 I'll bet you a couple of bottles of whiskey, to be 
 drunk by the company present, that I'll find you a 
 man in this very room who shall jump through the 
 open door there and touch the top of it with his foot 
 as he goes through and yet not fall." 
 
 Here the speaker turned to one of his friends and 
 gave him a look which was tantamount to saying, 
 " You can do that easily enough, can't you ? " 
 
 Then resuming his speech, he wound up by saying 
 as he banged his fist on the table — "And, by George, 
 if he doesn't do it, he shall pay forfeit." 
 
 The sceptical gentleman at once took the bet, first 
 stipulating it should be put down in black and white, 
 which being duly done, it was read out to the whole 
 company, who all declared the terms were clear and 
 unmistakable. Now, reader, I am wondering if you have 
 been sharper than any of us were, and so discovered the 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 131 
 
 ** sell " for yourself. No sooner were these formalities 
 completed than the layer of the bet turned to the taker, 
 saying in a humble voice, " Very well, sir, you do it ! 
 My bargain was that / would find the man, and if he 
 did not do it, he was to pay forfeit ; if you refer to 
 what is written, you will find me correct." 
 
 As the astonished taker of the wager grasped the 
 situation, he held out his hand to the winner and led the 
 laughter which went round the room, while, as the two 
 bottles of whiskey were ordered, we beat a retreat to be 
 ready for an early start on the morrow. 
 
 Eeturning south, there followed more days at Balls 
 
 Park and Hall Barn, together with some few nice days at 
 
 Dane End, near Ware, then rented by Mr. Cumberbatch, 
 
 the present tenant of Ware Park. On the 12th of 
 
 November I was one of a party of nine guns shooting 
 
 Balls Park Wood, when on a dark and showery day 625 
 
 head were bagged, of which 542 were pheasants. This 
 
 was followed by five days at Charlecote, and then odd 
 
 days at Langley Park, Slough, and at Hall Bam, filled up 
 
 the time until the 5 th of December. On the morning of 
 
 K 2 
 
132 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 that day I met Brydges Willyams, Sir George Prescott, 
 Colonel Cornwall Legh, of High Legh, Edward Lawson 
 and Rudolph Lehman on the Paddington platform, 
 from whence a merry party started for Carnanton by 
 the Cornish express. On this occasion our host tried 
 the experiment of shooting cocks only " first time 
 through," but it was not successful, as there was not 
 a sufficiently long interval given to allow the birds to 
 gather together again before we shot the same cover 
 afresh ; so consequently the size of the bag was unduly 
 reduced. 
 
 Six days' shooting produced 720 head, of which 607 
 were pheasants, with 21 woodcocks. I also had one 
 day on the marsh with the Rev. Hyde Smith, when, 
 as bad luck would have it, his gun broke down on 
 his firing his first shot, so, as we were nine miles 
 from home, there was nothing for it but for me to 
 go on alone, when six ducks, eight teal, and nineteen 
 snipe were my reward. This breakdown was indeed a 
 pity, for Hyde Smith could use his gun right well, 
 and as the marsh was full of ** stuff," it is probable 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 133 
 
 that with his assistance the bag would have been more 
 than doubled. 
 
 Then came three merry happy days at Isenhurst in 
 Sussex, with Sir George Prescott, Prescott Westcar, 
 Colonel Villiers Bagot, and Major Tollner; while the 
 season wound up at Tillingbourne with a good shoot 
 with my old friend, the late George Bonnor. 
 
 1887. 
 From February 11th to the 26th, I stayed with the 
 late Sir Robert Harvey at the Invercauld Arms, at 
 Ballater, fishing the Cambus o' May water, then rented by 
 him. This season the fish had hardly arrived in these 
 upper reaches on the opening of the fishing, so up till 
 the 22nd we had but three fish apiece. On that date 
 Sir Robert went south ; when, during the three days 
 that I remained, I got nine others. Kind Sir Robert! 
 How little I thought he carried his death warrant 
 with him from Ballater when he said good-bye ! On 
 the Sunday after my return south, I walked over from 
 Windsor to Langley for an afternoon chat, only to find 
 
184 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 him very unwell ; albeit he laughed as he offered me a 
 cigar, while saying, "I'm worse than I seem, for when 
 I cannot smoke, I'm quite certain I must be really ill." 
 On the 13 th of March typhoid fever declared itself, 
 and then, alas ! on the 28th, I with very many others 
 paid our last respects to this great gentleman as he was 
 borne to his resting-place in Langley Church. 
 
 This year I did not go north for the 12th of August, 
 but commenced work on the partridges at Balls Park ; 
 and after ten days of good sport I found myself, on the 
 13th of September, the guest of Colonel John Hargreaves, 
 at Glen Tromie, near Kingussie — Frank Gist, Cecil Sapte, 
 H. I. Rawlinson, R. Austin, and E. Fiennes making up 
 the party. On the 13th, Bob Hargreaves, aged 15, 
 killed his first stag in Gaick Forest, which my host 
 rented in conjunction with Glen Tromie ; the forest lodge 
 being some eight miles away, and thither two or three of 
 us went by turns for a couple of days at a time. During 
 the next sixteen days we bagged 11 stags, 1 roebuck, 
 301 grouse, 32 ptarmigan, 59 black-game, 145 partridges, 
 40 hares, 5 ducks, 31 snipe, 7 rabbits — 643 head, a very 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 136 
 
 pretty bag of mixed game. One of the chief features of 
 this visit was the fact that the thirty- two ptarmigan were 
 all killed by driving, for, on reaching our ground on the 
 summit of Malhuich, about eight miles from Glen Tromie, 
 we found that the morning had changed from a warm, 
 still one, to a very cold, windy, cloudy day, rendering the 
 ptarmigan so wild that it was quickly clear it was of no 
 use walking them up in line. Therefore we tried to drive 
 them, and in this way we got sixteen brace, and from 
 what I then saw, I am sure that these birds could be 
 successfully driven after making a careful observation of 
 the flights usually taken when they were disturbed. 
 
 Returning south, there followed in October three good 
 days at Charlecote ; and on the 19th, Spencer Lucy, with 
 his brother Berkeley, George Granville, Frank Dugdale, 
 and myself, had a good bag of 161 head, made up of 
 2 outlying fallow does, 47 partridges, 15 pheasants, 92 
 rabbits, 2 ducks, and 3 various. The next day, being 
 minus Granville, but plus Colonel Paulet and Archie 
 Drummond, we got 178 head, in much the same mixed 
 proportions. 
 
136 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Next came a visit to George Bonnor at Tillingbourne, 
 near Dorking, where, on November 2nd and 3rd, in 
 company with Colonel Ellison, Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
 F. G. Davidson, G. D. Whatman, and Captain Evelyn, 
 we got 314 head, chiefly pheasants. The Tillingbourne 
 property belongs to the Duke of Norfolk, and under 
 the rule of my friend Bonnor it was certainly one of 
 the most prettily picturesque places near London, and 
 beautifully kept up ; while to me one of its chief 
 charms was a chain of small ponds, each of which, 
 connected by a stream, held fine trout. At these I 
 had many a happy summer's day, and on one occasion 
 I was lucky enough to hook and land, on an artificial 
 May fly and a " Governor," two trout of three and 
 two and a half pounds. I am aware it is not usual 
 to fish a dropper with a May fly, but having tried the 
 big one with several other flies, I only put the May 
 fly up for just the one cast over this special fish, and 
 thinking the chance of getting a rise extremely remote, 
 I was too lazy to remove the dropper. The fat fellow, 
 on taking the May fly, naturally drew the other fly 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 137 
 
 after him under water, when the second trout dashed 
 from beneath some weeds and seized it. That I got 
 both fish out was a matter of luck, for I had not a 
 net within reach, as, estimating my chance as hopeless, 
 I had left it hanging on a gate-post near by, and thus 
 I had first to thoroughly kill my captives prior to 
 hand-lining them. As I finished the performance, a 
 voice close by startled me by saying, " Well done ! " 
 and there at my elbow was standing a man, rod in 
 hand, who bore a very pleasant countenance, while his 
 whole manner and appearance had something distin- 
 guished about it and proclaimed the gentleman as well 
 as the sportsman. I was somewhat puzzled as to who 
 he could be, for my host, when I left the house in 
 the morning, had said nothing of anyone else coming 
 to fish. However, I at once accepted the stranger as 
 a guest at Tillingbourne, and expressing my regret at 
 having already fished the best of the pools, I invited 
 him to follow me to try a cast in those that were yet 
 untouched. The ofi'er was courteously accepted — the 
 stranger soon showing he was an expert with the rod. 
 
138 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 After taking a brace of fine trout, all doubts as to 
 whether this charming mannered man was a guest at 
 Tillingbourne were at once dispelled when he looked 
 smilingly at me, while saying, ** Dear Bonnor told me 
 he had put a couple of bottles of champagne in ice, 
 so we must not keep luncheon waiting " — an announce 
 ment which, on that blazing hot June day, was not 
 wholly unwelcome. 
 
 Now, at the entrance to Tillingbourne there was 
 a fine marble bust of some ancient Greek hero ; I 
 forget who it represented, but around it was a long 
 inscription in Greek characters. Now, from my earliest 
 school-days, this was a language which had ever been 
 a fatal one to me ; and thus, in later times, I had 
 been too happy to bury all remnants of Greek in 
 the more congenial study of the French, German, and 
 Italian languages. Not liking, however, to confess my 
 ignorance, I had always hitherto passed this bust with a 
 look which was equivalent to saying, "Of course, I know 
 all about you, and could easily translate the rigmarole 
 that surrounds you if I chose ! " Many other fellows 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 139 
 
 likewise I noticed did the same. So when my stranger 
 stopped in front of the Greek party to give him a name, 
 whilst, after reading the inscription, he translated it as 
 a matter of course, I was so struck with the performance 
 that I remarked, " What a wonderful thing that a man 
 of your age should recollect his school-boy's Greek as well 
 as you do ! Are you sure you are right ? " A merry 
 twinkle came to his eyes, while the next second Bonnor's 
 pleasant voice called, from the top of the steps whither 
 he had come to meet us, " Grimble, let me introduce you 
 to Mr. Matthew Arnold." In a second it flashed across 
 me I had been thus lightly talking to one who was 
 acknowledged to be the greatest Greek scholar of the 
 day ! The deed was done, and though at first my face 
 fell, the ludicrous side of this matter presented itself so 
 forcibly that it was impossible to help laughing. In 
 this the great man joined most heartily, and the matter 
 being explained to host and hostess, they too entered 
 into the joke, which was followed by a merry lunch. 
 
 Mr. Arnold made me quite happy later on by saying, 
 " Well, even if I do know a little more about a dead 
 
140 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 language than you do, I must own I could not have 
 hand-lined those two trout like you did." 
 
 My next sport was again at Balls Park, where, on the 
 11th of November, ten of us got 600 pheasants, with a 
 total bag of 748 head. Next, on the 2nd of December, 
 Carnanton's hospitable roof sheltered me once more, Sir 
 Philip Egerton, Sir George Prescott, Colonel Legh, and 
 Humphry Willyams making up the party. In the three 
 days following we put into the larder 514 pheasants, 
 11 woodcocks, 2 partridges, 17 hares, and 24 rabbits; 
 and during one of these days Brydges Willyams shot a 
 hen -pheasant with nearly the full dress plumage of the 
 cock-bird. On the fourth day the party broke up, 
 owing to a severe attack of gout having laid our good 
 host by the heels. I was, however, kindly pressed to 
 stay on to try the marsh with his nephew Humphrey, 
 and in the next five days we two managed to put 
 together the pretty bag of 3 duck, 3 widgeon, 36 teal, 
 89 snipe, 31 pheasants, 59 partridges, 2 hares, and 2 
 rabbits. 
 
 This marsh has quite an historical interest, for during 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 141 
 
 the last two thousand years almost every foot of the large 
 acreage has been dug up for "tin streaming" purposes. 
 The Phoenicians, the ancient Britons, and the Romans 
 worked on it, and to this day the industry is still carried 
 on, the incessant digging having rendered some parts such 
 very treacherous walking that the most practised bog- 
 trotter could hardly venture for the first few times 
 without a guide. Every dangerous hole in it is, however, 
 well known to old Tullum and his son, and the visitor 
 placing himself in the hands of either can " go forth " 
 fearlessly. The old man is of extraordinary build and 
 strength, and in his younger days was one of the most 
 redoubtable among the many formidable wrestlers of 
 Cornwall. 
 
 The 11th of January saw me at Charlecote, Lord 
 Yarmouth and Campbell Preston completing the party. 
 In the evening of that day we went in force to the 
 Warwick Hunt Ball. On the next one I did some 
 ferreting alone, the rest of the party taking a late sleep, 
 and preparing to receive the Duchess of Teck and Princess 
 Victoria, who were coming over to tea from Warwick 
 
142 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Castle. On getting back with nearly a hundred bunnies, 
 I quickly changed and joined the tea party, when I learned 
 that, owing to the dense fog, Lord Brooke, to make all safe 
 for the Duchess, had ridden the whole way in front of her 
 carriage with a white handkerchief pinned to his back, as 
 a guide to the coachman. I also had the luck on this 
 occasion to make the acquaintance of the late Maria, 
 Marchioness of Ailesbury, for to my lot it fell to escort 
 her over Charlecote House, and much amused I was at 
 many of her quaint remarks, made in her well-known deep 
 contralto voice. In the evening we had another dance at 
 Warwick Castle — one of the prettiest sights I ever saw. 
 On the next morning most of us appeared at a nine 
 o'clock breakfast, and a good day's sport was followed 
 by the Stratford-on-Avon Ball. But these three con- 
 secutive dances so took it out of two of our guns that 
 we were quite short-handed for the next day's partridge 
 driving, and of course the birds took that opportunity 
 of coming well to the hedges we lined. However, we 
 got 40 brace, and should have had fully 60 if our two 
 beaten friends had put in an appearance. 
 
LEAA^ES FROM A GAME BOOK. 143 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 1888. 
 
 The 1 2th of August, this year, saw me the guest of Frank 
 Lawson at Huntly Lodge, Aboyne, Hal Phillips and Cecil 
 Block making up the four guns. The twelfth was windy, 
 cold, and showery. Phillips and Block shot together, 
 while Lawson and I worked another beat. Honours were 
 nearly divided, with a bag of 200 grouse, 4 hares, and 
 a duck. In the eight days at Huntly Lodge we got 
 738 grouse, 46 hares, 4 woodcock, 59 rabbits, and 2 ducks, 
 while on the off days I took 6 salmon, and Block 2 others. 
 The year following disease visited these shootings so 
 severely that even up to the present day they do not 
 appear to have recovered from the attack. 
 
 Following this came my usual stay at Balls Park, 
 where they were still making hay on the 13th of 
 
144 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 September, on account of the very wet season ; and 
 then, on October 13th, I was again the guest of Frank 
 Lawson at Langley Park, near Norwich, Sir Philip 
 Egerton and Jack Bloxam making up the four. The 
 three following days gave us 226 head, chiefly par- 
 tridges. 
 
 On October 17th I had two days at Tillingbourne, 
 meeting there Colonel Ellison, Augustus Chetwode, Lewis 
 Coward, and F. G. Davidson, when we got 283 pheasants 
 and some " odds and ends." Then, on the 23rd, 24th 
 and 25th, came three sporting days at Charlecote, the first 
 in particular being a good one, for, with our host, his 
 brother Berkeley, Christopher Tower, and Frank Dugdale, 
 we killed, walking in line, 36 partridges, 49 hares, 177 
 rabbits, and 7 various. 
 
 As this day came to an end, and as we turned on to 
 the road for home, we met Sir Charles Mordaunt's stud 
 groom coming back from Warwick, and as both Berkeley 
 Lucy and I had backed Veracity for a small sum for the 
 Cambridgeshire, we cried after him to know if he had 
 heard the name of the winner. ** Frosty, sir," came the 
 
LEAVES FROM A GA^IE BOOK. 145 
 
 reply ; and frosted were we, to be thawed, however, later 
 on, by hearing that Veracity had won, and that " Frosty " 
 was but a special pronunciation of the groom's own 
 devising. 
 
 On the 22nd November came another of the annual bisf 
 days at Balls Park, where I found assembled Hal Phillips, 
 Charles Wodehouse, Mr. Monck (the late M.P. for 
 Gloucester), General Sir Charles Eeid, Harold Finch 
 Hatton, George Bonnor, Sir George Prescott, and Brydges 
 Willy ams. The total bag was 1054, of which 703 were 
 pheasants. During this day an extraordinary bit of luck 
 came my way. Up to lunch time we had had first-rate 
 sport, so much so that I had got rid of over three hundred 
 cartridges. On resuming work, I found my reserve 
 ammunition had in some way missed the cartridge cart, so 
 therefore I was quite cleared out. Sir George Prescott 
 kindly lent me a box of one hundred to go on with. 
 At this moment my host came up to whisper to me that 
 he feared one or two of his guests had not had quite 
 their share of sport, so would I mind taking a stand 
 in the ensuing beat which at the best would yield 
 
146 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 but a few shots. Cheerfully consenting, he placed me 
 himself in a spot to which we both knew pheasants 
 rarely broke. The beat began, while, quite contented, 
 I stood watching the birds running past me up to the 
 forward guns. I was in an open space in which, on 
 either side, some forty yards away, big oak-trees shut 
 me out from the guns standing to right and left. The 
 beaters drew level, and had well passed me, when, of a 
 sudden, all the birds in the beat began to fly back over 
 my head and directly between the two trees. I had 
 a right good loader, so at them we went with a will, 
 and in less than ten minutes my hundred cartridges 
 had been blazed away, while hardly any one else fired a 
 shot. This was " taking a back seat " with a vengeance, 
 and I could not help feeling rather shy about the 
 matter ; as, however, the birds were all flying back to a 
 part of the wood already beaten, where they would 
 have been seen no more that day, I did not mind very 
 much. My loader said I got seventy-four, and only 
 two short of that number was gathered, but the firing 
 was so fast, I had no idea myself what the score was. 
 
lea\t:s from a game book. 147 
 
 When the beat ended, it turned out that a stop, who 
 should have kept hidden in a ditch outside the cover, 
 had left his place to take up a position inside it, so 
 that every bird, seeing him as it ran to the end, had 
 thus been most unexpectedly headed back to me. It 
 is impossible to speak of these days in Balls Wood 
 without singing the praises of Matthews, the head 
 keeper, for of this oblong wood of nearly two 
 hundred acres, but three sides belong to the estate, 
 while the whole length of the fourth and longest 
 side runs parallel with a public highway, on the 
 other side of which are extensive covers not over care- 
 fully preserved. From this description any pheasant 
 preserver will see that it is only by never-failing 
 vigilance that the birds can be held together in such 
 good numbers. 
 
 On the 7th and 8th of December, Hall Barn gave six 
 of us 406 head, nearly all pheasants ; and then on the 
 11th I revisited Langley Park, Norwich, which is not 
 to be mixed up with Sir Robert Harvey's Langley Park, 
 
 near Slough. 
 
 L 2 
 
148 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 My host, Frank Lawson, apologised for asking us to 
 shoot covers "a second time through," but, as will be seen, 
 this was quite unnecessary, as in four days our party of 
 Sir George Prescott, Prescott Westcar, Colonel Yilliers 
 Bagot, Colonel Keene, and Cecil Block garnered 1602 
 head, of which 1312 were pheasants. Hamond, the 
 head keeper at Langley, understood right well how 
 to make his birds fly high over the guns, and this 
 though the most of the covers were quite flat. In 
 the Park none of them had any outside fence or hedge 
 and were merely wired ofi", while in all these covers 
 the undergrowth was cut back for about a hundred 
 yards, and the guns being placed nearly a like distance 
 from the fence, the pheasants, being able both to see 
 and hear them, naturally ceased to run forward as soon 
 as they were deprived of the shelter of the under- 
 growth; then, as the beaters drew near, they would fly 
 up through the trees, and thus passed high over the 
 shooters, and that they did this to some purpose will be 
 admitted when it is stated that at one stand, out of some 
 400 birds sent over six guns, but 120 were laid low. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 149 
 
 1889. 
 
 February 5th found me fishing the Tay from the 
 Grandtully Hotel, where, in six days of hard work, 
 but two fish rewarded. my efforts, 25 and 18 pounds. 
 Then came a very severe gale, with one of the heaviest 
 snowstorms seen in that district for many years ; these 
 inflictions being follow^ed by a great frost, drove me 
 south for a while, to reappear on the Huntly Lodge 
 water of the Dee, which I rented from the 18th March 
 to 30th April. During that time I passed forty days 
 on the river side, and "wrought sair hard" the whole 
 time. Twenty-two days were absolutely blank, while 
 the remaining nineteen gave but twenty-six fish, 
 weighing 302 lbs. — poor sport indeed, especially at the 
 price paid for it, which I will not mention. 
 
 On August the 11th, Raehills received me once more 
 within its hospitable walls, Captain Ernest Nevile being 
 the other guest, until we were joined by Markham 
 Spofforth and his retriever, bearing the odd name of 
 "Euba Dam." However, he was a good dog, and 
 
150 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 always took all the grouse he could collect to his 
 master's butt, so his name mattered but little. Our 
 score for nineteen days was 382 grouse, 34 black-cocks, 
 103 partridges, 19 snipes, 12 hares, 7 rabbits, 5 various, 
 and 2 fallow bucks. This was a bad grouse season in 
 these parts, disease having done its deadly work but 
 too well. 
 
 I cannot mention the name of the late Captain Nevile 
 without relating an incident that had happened to us in 
 Paris some years earlier. Together we had made a little 
 expedition to that gay capital, to see Doncaster win the 
 Grand Prix, poor Nevile taking the opportunity to have 
 a small plunge on the English horse, which was easily 
 beaten by the French Boiard. To console ourselves, we 
 went in the evening to the Mabille, when, as Nevile 
 was sitting looking somewhat depressed, he was espied 
 by four young Frenchmen, who, though they were 
 strangers to us, had no sooner set eyes on my dejected 
 friend than, guessing the cause, they formed themselves 
 into a ring and, linking arms, began to dance round 
 him while chanting : " Boiard a gagne ! Boiard a 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 151 
 
 gagne ! " For a few seconds Nevile gave no sign, then, 
 taking his cigar from his lips, he looked them straight 
 in the face while he ripped out with sharp decisive 
 accent, " Eh bien, messieurs ! et les Prussiens aussi." 
 This was indeed a dangerous reply, for it was but the 
 second Grand Prix that had been run since the Prussians 
 quitted Paris, and the next minute we found ourselves 
 involved in a free fight. Our own friends, with all the 
 other English in the place, rallied round us, when, 
 though outnumbered, we had by no means the worst 
 of the melee, as the police arrived on the scene to part 
 the combatants. 
 
 One of the features of Raehills sport was just one 
 day at the stooks — not perhaps the most exciting method 
 of shooting grouse, and more often than not the outcome 
 of a double desire to pass time on a wet day (the best 
 for the purpose) and please the farmers whose stooks are 
 sufi'ering. A high-lying cornfield on the edge of the 
 moor must be the scene of operations, where it is quite 
 good time to arrive by one o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Seats are then made behind the stone wall of the field, 
 
152 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK, 
 
 and placed so that their occupants cannot shoot each 
 other. Usually a stone is pulled from the top of the 
 dyke, and then placing some bracken or a sheaf of corn 
 on it, with a game bag over all, a dry and easy seat to 
 shoot from is made, but it must be built of such a height 
 as not to show the shooter's cap over the top of the wall. 
 Places having been arranged, each gun takes a seat, one 
 keeper withdrawing to a distance behind the cornfield, 
 while, if there is a second man out, he proceeds to 
 conceal himself on the other side of the stubble ; by 
 which distribution of forces, as birds settle near either 
 of them, they can frequently be moved back over the 
 heads of the guns. 
 
 For the first half hour the weapon will probably lie 
 across the knees while a pipe is smoked, when, as a 
 matter of course, the very moment attention is relaxed, 
 a covey will come over the wall, to pass by unshot 
 at. Annoyed at losing such a chance, the culprit now 
 continues to sit at the ready, until suddenly a gentle 
 rushing sound strikes his ear, and the next moment 
 finds himself literally smothered in a great pack of 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 163 
 
 grouse skimming over the wall barely a foot from his 
 head. It is easy enough to take a brace out of this 
 lot, for they are slowing in their flight preparatory to 
 settling on the stubble, while so keen are they on their 
 repast that often even after two or more barrels have 
 been fired they will yet alight, and then, fluttering up 
 on to the stooks, will commence to feed. When this 
 is done out of gunshot, the keeper on that side of 
 the field will quit his hiding-place to stroll gently 
 towards the birds, who, when disturbed, usually return 
 to the moor by the way they came. This time, how- 
 ever, there will be more satisfaction in getting a right 
 and left, for they are now driven birds coming best 
 pace, while often rising very high. 
 
 Thus for two or three hours they will come to the 
 corn in twos and threes, and in coveys and packs, till 
 eventually the shooting scares them so much that they 
 begin to hesitate about returning, and instead of coming 
 boldly over the wall, they stop short and light on the 
 heather. Then it is indeed a pretty sight to peep through 
 the chinks in the wall and watch the movements of a big 
 
164 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 pack at quite close quarters. Clearly they are holding 
 a consultation as to the wisdom of again seeking the 
 tempting food, but if absolute stillness be maintained, the 
 corn will usually win the day, for presently the old cocks 
 begin to strut, while jerking their heads up and down and 
 giving a low sort of chuckle, calling all the others to 
 attention, till at length every head is erect, when with one 
 accord they rise to cross once more the fatal dyke. When 
 once seated at this sport, no one should on any pretence 
 quit his place or stand upright, and all winged birds 
 should be stopped by another shot. Mark where each 
 one falls, and look them over now and again, for one 
 that is only winged will drop and lie for a considerable 
 time to all appearance dead, before sneaking off to hide 
 under the nearest stook ; and even though it has been 
 seen to do this, yet one stook is so exactly like another 
 that it will be difficult to remember the right one after 
 the lapse of an hour. 
 
 The 18 th of September saw me again at Glen Tromie, 
 Frank Gist, Cecil Sapte, Pocklington, Charles Greenfield 
 and Sclater Booth making up the party. It was but a 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 155 
 
 moderate grouse season here, and in the seventeen days 
 that followed, most of which were very windy and 
 snowy, we got 14 stags, 268 grouse, 17 black-cocks, 23 
 partridges, 8 snipe, 2 teal, 2 woodcock, and 9 hares. 
 
 On the last day of my stay I had a real good 
 day on the hill, for on the 5th October I started with 
 Edmund Ormiston from Gaick Lodge, on as fine a 
 day for the purpose as could have been wished. At 
 a quiet pace we made our way to the hill-top, where 
 we at once found deer, for near at hand five stags and 
 some hinds were feeding. The stalk proved an easy 
 one, and the best stag, a fat eight-pointer, bit the dust. 
 Edmund performed the graUoch whilst I, having taken 
 a seat, pulled out the spy-glass and soon found a 
 solitary stag trotting slowly into sight, he having 
 evidently been disturbed by the sound of the recent 
 shot, although not quite sure from which direction the 
 noise had come; and as I pointed him out to Edmund, 
 still busy with his work, he whispered to me: "Have 
 a try for him, sir, while I finish the graUoch; it's a 
 sharp run, but if you can reach the big stane yonder 
 
156 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 before he does, you will cut him off, for that will 
 be his line, and I'm thinking you will get there in 
 time." 
 
 The aforesaid *' stane " was about a mile in front of 
 the stag, but much nearer to me than to him, so taking 
 my bearings I dashed off best pace. It was a down-hill 
 run, the ground completely hid me, and reaching the 
 indicated spot, puffing and blowing like a grampus, I just 
 had time to settle myself in a happy position to await 
 the issue of Edmund's prophecy. The matter was quickly 
 settled, as I soon saw the stag trotting exactly in the 
 line foretold, when, as he came broadside to me, I rolled 
 him over stone dead ; then running up, I bled him and 
 awaited the advent of Edmund the prophet, w^ho shortly 
 put in an appearance, the while smiling proudly at the 
 success of his strategy, although he was polite enough 
 to declare all his pleasure was derived solely from 
 witnessing my part of the performance. Then we started 
 once more in quest of yet a third shot, and luck 
 favouring us, the chance was quickly found, when once 
 more the bullet sped true. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 157 
 
 Now, though it has taken but a short space to 
 narrate the death of these three stags, it must not be 
 overlooked we had had two stalks, a run in, and three 
 beasts to gralloch, so by this time it was past 
 two o'clock. Edmund, however, was downright blood- 
 thirsty that day, for, as we finished a hasty lunch, 
 he sprang to his feet, saying, " Well, sir, all last 
 season no one rifle could get more than three beasts 
 in the day to himself, but I think we shall manage 
 to beat that to-day, so we will start whenever you 
 are ready." 
 
 Nothing loath, I was on my legs at once, but in vain 
 corrie after corrie was searched, for not another beast 
 could we find, while by half-past four we had explored 
 the whole of our beat and were reduced to turning 
 back. At this Edmund was quite depressed and down- 
 hearted, in which feeling I could not bring myself to 
 join, for three good stags in one day was quite sufficient 
 sport to send me home rejoicing. Thus it was then that, 
 as we turned our faces towards the Lodge, Edmund began 
 to spy afresh in all directions ; but his trouble was in 
 
158 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 vain, and we at length reached the edge of the range 
 of the forest hills. 
 
 From where we stood we could see the Lodge some 
 3000 feet below us, a mere speck in the distance, 
 while so pretty and peaceful was the panorama stretched 
 at our feet that, being tempted to rest before commencing 
 the long descent, so tiring to the knees, we sat down 
 by a spring and lit our pipes. On this Edmund again 
 pulled out his spy -glass and in silence commenced another 
 search ; after some minutes I saw him give a start, 
 and all feelings of fatigue left me as he murmured, 
 "May be, sir, we shall get a fourth beast, for I see 
 a small stag feeding into sight on the top of the Eilig 
 burn, though I doubt if the daylight will last us." 
 I took the glass from his hand and soon found 
 the staggie, which was such a small beastie that I 
 immediately began to consider whether, after the good 
 day we already had had, it would not be more 
 sportsmanlike to leave him in peace. On imparting 
 these sentiments to Edmund, I found he had set his 
 heart on making up the four beasts, while he also 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOKr 159 
 
 assured me the stag was heavier in body than his 
 horns indicated ; on hearing this, I took a fresh peep 
 at him, when to my surprise I saw him make a 
 sudden bolt in evident alarm, while over the sky-line 
 in furious pursuit there appeared a splendid stag with 
 a grand head. 
 
 Nearly certain I could count royal points, I was 
 about to proclaim my discovery to Edmund, when it 
 flashed across me how pressed we were for time, and 
 as with all his skill he was yet a very excitable man, 
 I feared it might make him rash if he suddenly 
 heard of the presence of such a noble beast, especially 
 in the bloodthirsty frame of mind in which he then 
 was ; so, keeping my mouth shut, I quietly handed 
 back his glass, while remarking unconcernedly, **Well, 
 Edmund, if you want to get up to him in time to 
 see to shoot, we must just make a run for it, so 
 go ahead as fast as you like." Go ahead indeed he 
 did, but as it was down hill for a mile I managed 
 to live with him till the ascent began, when Edmund, 
 like a gentleman, made the pace less severe, while, 
 
160 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 as we approached the top of the hill over which we 
 expected to find our quarry, he had the wisdom to 
 reduce it to almost a crawl, so thus by the time the 
 summit was reached I had quite recovered my wind. 
 
 On hands and knees we crossed the sky-line, while 
 yard by yard the precipitous sides of the Eilig burn 
 were searched, and horribly disappointed were we at 
 finding our deer had apparently fed down to the 
 foot of this very steep hill. A worse place for a shot 
 could not be imagined, and Edmund whispered me that 
 the last three stags killed here had all been smashed 
 to bits by rolling down the rocky hillside after 
 receiving the bullet. 
 
 There was nothing for it but to follow our quarry, 
 so feet first and flat on our sides we commenced the 
 descent, only quickly to sight the back of a small 
 stag. As long as he fed we slithered nearer to him ; 
 the moment he raised his head we became as immov- 
 able as the big stones around us. At length we were 
 within a long shot of this staggie, while to my dismay 
 nothing of the big fellow could be seen, and it 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 161 
 
 became uncertain as to wlietlier the object of our 
 pursuit was right at the bottom of the hill, or only 
 hidden from view by a projecting spur of rock. 
 
 Just out of fun, with no intention of firing, I 
 put the rifle to my shoulder, when to my surprise 
 Edmund's long arm glided gently round me and 
 depressed the muzzle to the earth, while a hurried 
 whisper came to my ear, " There is another one just 
 a wee bit better." 
 
 Now, as I also knew there was another and a very 
 much better one, I chuckled to myself at the thought of 
 the surprise it would be to Edmund if we succeeded in 
 killing the big one. The situation was, however, getting 
 critical, necessitating some decided move on our part ; 
 for it was growing so rapidly dusk that, unless the 
 small stag would kindly move out of the way, it would 
 be impossible to make a further advance without letting 
 him into the secret of our presence, in which event he 
 would be certain to impart his discovery to all his friends 
 below. For some precious minutes we remained immov- 
 able, while hoping the little brute would take himself 
 
162 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 off, but he continued placidly browsing, while each 
 mouthful he took was accompanied on our parts by 
 anything but blessings on his head. Dusker and dusker 
 it grew, and matters began to look very black ; so much 
 so that I contemplated telling Edmund all about the 
 big fellow, with a view of taking counsel and attempting 
 same rash or daring manoeuvre. 
 
 My own idea was to put the rifle at full cock, and 
 then, with fingers fast set between hammers and strikers, 
 to make a dash down hill, trusting to luck to get near 
 enough to the big one to put in a shot ere he could 
 get out of range. As I turned to whisper my plans, 
 I saw two other good-sized stags coming up from the 
 base of the hill to join the little one. Edmund had of 
 course seen them too, and whispered me in accents of 
 despair, " Hech, sir, if it were but later in the season, 
 the other stag would soon put them awa, and show us 
 his whereabouts." As he finished speaking, the two 
 new-comers came to a halt, while the provoking little 
 staggie that had so long delayed our advance disappeared 
 with a caper ; then the next second we heard the clatter, 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 163 
 
 the thud, and the rush of a heavy beast in his gallop, 
 accompanied by snorts of rage and defiance, quickly 
 causing the other two stags to bolt. It was clear the 
 sounds we heard came from behind the projecting rock, 
 so now our anxiety was as to whether the approaching 
 stag would continue the pursuit of the intruders 
 sufficiently far to bring him into our sight. 
 
 It was clear that, if he did put in an appearance, we 
 should be absolutely in full view of each other ; therefore 
 the full-cocked rifle was already half way to my shoulder, 
 as, after a few seconds of suspense, he bounded into 
 sight some hundred yards below. 
 
 He came thundering along, fairly broadside on, and, 
 excited as I was, it was yet impossible to help admiring 
 the spectacle, for though we were as motionless as the 
 rocks around us, yet he " picked us up " in an instant, 
 bringing himself to a sudden halt by planting his fore- 
 legs stiff and wide apart in front of him, at the same 
 time turning his head directly on us. It needed no 
 second glance to show me we were detected, and that 
 
 this halt was but preparatory to bolting down hill and 
 
 M 2 
 
164 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 SO unsighting us. Alas ! for him that second of hesi- 
 tation was his death warrant, for the rifle spoke in the 
 very nick of time, the bullet dropping him to all 
 appearance stone dead. Quickly lowering the hammer 
 of the left barrel to put on the stop, with lengthy 
 leaps we dashed down hill to where he lay, only to 
 reach him just as the sinewy hind-legs began to kick 
 in vigorous convulsions. On to one of them Edmund 
 flung himself, while I, seizing his horns, fixed his head 
 to the earth ; so thus between us we held him till 
 the knife could be unsheathed and used. 
 
 A few minutes later the gallant stag lay prone on 
 the now nearly dark hillside, and it was only then 
 that we began to realise the good luck that had befallen 
 us, for at our feet was a splendid thirteen-pointer, 
 which next day scaled quite clean just under seventeen 
 stone. Then it was that I turned to Edmund to 
 say, "Well, now, what do you think of my little 
 stag ? I saw him when you asked me to take a look 
 at the small one, but I kept it dark to give you a 
 surprise." 
 
LEASTS FROM A GAME BOOK. 165 
 
 To this came the reply : " Hech, sir, but it's the 
 verra same beast I was hoping to get you a shot at. 
 You see, sir, it was like this : I hae so often seen 
 the sicht o' such a gran fellow mak my gentleman 
 all o'er of a tremble that I just telled ye it was but 
 a staggie we were after ; but surely, sir, ye did not 
 see him too, for he went out of sicht before I gave 
 you my glass." 
 
 To this I answered : " Yes, Edmund, but he came 
 back again, and so I kept the matter dark, for I too 
 have sometimes seen the sight of such a splendid stag 
 make the best of stalkers rash, especially when he 
 had to do his work against time ; so we can laugh at 
 each other and cry quits over our thirteen-pointer ; 
 so now for a taste of Glenlivet before we drag him 
 down hill." 
 
 It took us a good hour to haul our prize to the 
 pony, but, though aching arms and want of breath more 
 than once compelled a halt, all troubles were laughed 
 at, as we now cared not a jot how late we might be 
 in reaching home. , 
 
166 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 The shot had indeed been a lucky one, for on 
 examination we found the ball had gone high and 
 smashed the spine just over the heart, and two inches 
 higher would have made it a miss altogether ; moreover, 
 it was almost the only wound that would have assured a 
 few moments of absolute immobility, for, had the bullet 
 been planted fairly in the heart, the chances are the stag 
 would have run at least a few paces, and then, as he 
 tottered to his death, his fall would have launched 
 him rolling down hill, to be dashed to pieces like his 
 predecessors. 
 
 Our luck had also been the greater, as it is but seldom 
 stags notice each other quite so early in the season, for, 
 as a rule, their jealousies do not commence until a week 
 later. At the foot of the Eilig burn we were met by the 
 pony-man, so with the help of three pair of hands our 
 quarry was quickly strapped on the saddle, when a merry 
 party stumbled home in the dark. On the way I confided 
 to Edmund that, though I had killed many deer, includ- 
 ing several royals, yet till now the twelve points had 
 never been exceeded, and that I was under a solemn vow. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 167 
 
 the first time I broke the spell by killing a stag with more 
 than a dozen points, to present the stalker with a bottle 
 of whisky for each point, and having asked him what 
 particular brand of mountain dew was his own special 
 weakness, I got for answer, " Thank you kindly, sir ; it 
 will be seven-year-old Glenleevit that I'll be taking." 
 
 The head ol this stag now hangs over my dining-room 
 mantel-piece, and I never look at it without recalling to 
 mind that exciting stalk, together with the many happy 
 days I passed at Gaick as the guest of one of the best 
 of sportsmen and good fellows. 
 
 The day following this exploit was Sunday, and I am 
 here about 'to relate a small adventure which did not 
 happen at Gaick, as I consider it would be a breach of 
 faith to give the name of my host and the friendly 
 minister; the incident, however, took place on "The 
 Sawbeth," but not in Inverness-shire. 
 
 As this day passed somewhat slowly in a forest 
 lodge, and as I had no letters to write, as soon as 
 a late breakfast was over, I strolled off to the loch 
 side to enjoy the sunny landscape while rejoicing in 
 
168 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the mere fact of being alive and in possession of my 
 senses, each one of which was gratified this lovely 
 morning — the sight by the beauties of Nature spread 
 around me and the blue smoke as it curled from my 
 pipe; the hearing by the croaking of a raven in the 
 distance, mingled with the cackling of the old cock 
 grouse as they rose from the heather in front of me ; 
 the taste by fragrant tobacco ; the smell by that in- 
 describably refreshing scent of peat, moss and heather ; 
 the feeling by the pleasant sensation of breathing fine 
 air, when walking in robust health over ground as soft 
 as velvet to the tread. 
 
 As the end of the loch was neared, it brought 
 me close to the rough roadside, where I met the 
 "Meenister," seated by his man in a two- wheeled 
 buggy. The reverend gentleman pulled up to converse 
 with me, and as I noticed the dimensions of his 
 conveyance, all fear of being offered a lift to the Kirk 
 was dispelled, for I was aware he was on his way to 
 hold a service at the head of the glen. Now, lest 
 from this my readers may put me down as a heathen. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 169 
 
 it must be stated the aforesaid service was to be a 
 Gaelic one. But thrice only have I attempted to 
 worship in that language, when the pronimciation and 
 intonation of the unknown tongue so reminded me on 
 each occasion of my friend, that famous Tweed fisher- 
 man, the late Thomas Tod Stoddart, and his Gaelic 
 sermon, that I never could resist the spirit of laughter 
 the reminiscence called up, for Mr. Stoddart, though 
 acquainted with but a few words of the language, had 
 a knack of so imitating a Gaelic " discoorse " which was 
 so realistic and withal so comical that it never failed 
 to convulse his hearers with laughter. 
 
 To return, however, to our minister, who, having 
 heard the story of the thirteen-pointer, drove off to his 
 duties with a promise of venison if he would call at 
 the Lodge on his way home, for our host had told us 
 to offer him some if any of us met him. He continued 
 his way, while I went mine, when, arriving at the end 
 of the loch, I followed on down the banks of the 
 stream running out of it, which some ten miles away 
 lost itself in the larger waters of a noted salmon river, 
 
170 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 and during the autumn numbers of these fish came up 
 into the loch to spawn. 
 
 For more than a mile I wandered on in the same 
 happy spirit of contentment, when suddenly all feelings 
 of that sort were scattered to the winds by the sight 
 of a fine bright salmon leaping high into the air. 
 I sat down on the bank of the pool to watch, when 
 again and again he came to the surface — a twenty- 
 pounder I was well-nigh sure, for at times he sprang 
 far out of water to show his goodly proportions, 
 though more, often he sent those great oily swirls 
 around him as he made those quiet head and tail rises 
 which are maddening for a fisherman to witness unless 
 with rod in hand. 
 
 " Bother it," said I to myself, " he would be 
 absolutely certain to take the very first fly that came 
 over him." Then, dear reader, with sorrow I confess 
 it, there entered my head the wicked idea of having 
 a try for him that very afternoon ; thus, although it 
 was the Sabbath, I jumped to my feet and hastened 
 home, bent on putting my profane thought into 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 171 
 
 immediate practice. After hurrying over lunch, I stole 
 off to the gun-room, where I knew there hung a 
 four- join ted trout rod, which, when tied together, each 
 joint being separated by about a foot of string, I 
 was glad to find would hang round my neck, two on 
 each side of me, without showing below the skirts 
 of a long mackintosh coat. A short gaff being stowed 
 away up one of the sleeves, with fly-book and reel 
 in pocket, I hastened back to the river, taking care 
 that my departure was unseen ; and, though it was 
 hot work walking in the waterproof coat, it did not 
 take me long to reach my destination. 
 
 Though the pool was only some three hundred yards 
 distant from the roadside, it was yet quite hidden 
 from view by high banks, but, nevertheless, taking 
 a careful look round to make all sure, and having 
 satisfied myself no one was in sight, I plunged down 
 the brae, and a short time afterwards a small "Jock 
 Scott," mounted on a yard of stout salmon gut, was 
 hanging from the end of the rod. 
 
 Having left the gut to soak for a few minutes, I 
 
172 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 then began to cast, when, just as anticipated, the fish 
 took the fly greedily the moment it came over him. 
 Then the fun began, while all thought of the Sabbath 
 was forgotten. With a great dash the fish left the 
 pool to make down stream, and although he went 
 faster than was pleasant, as the going was good, I 
 managed to keep pretty level with him. 
 
 After a run of about two hundred yards we came 
 to another pool, and as it, too, was also well hidden 
 from view of the road, I was pleased when my captive 
 showed a disposition to halt ; and then after his fit 
 of the sulks was over he began to "jigger," swim 
 round and round, spring out of the water, and try 
 all the various dodges known to salmon to extricate 
 themselves from difficulties. In this manner the best 
 part of half an hour passed away, when he began to 
 weaken, and if I had had but a lengthier gaff or a 
 stouter rod, the contest would now have been speedily 
 ended, but it is a very difficult matter with a ten-foot 
 trout rod to bring a not quite exhausted fish up to 
 within striking distance of a short gaff. At last I 
 
LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK 173 
 
 made a try, but only to miss him, while, as I did so, 
 I was electrified by a voice at my elbow saying — 
 
 " Steady ! steady, my dear sir, or you will lose him ; 
 now just gie me the cleek," and, suiting the action to 
 the word, the minister — for it was no less a personage, 
 and I should have as soon expected to see Old Nick 
 himself — had the fish cleverly ashore in a second. As 
 I exclaimed, "Well done, sir!" the good man looked 
 half ashamed, and smiled bashfully as he responded, 
 " Aweel, Mr. ' Grumble' " — I am always called " Grumble" 
 in the north — "it would indeed be a pity to lose so 
 bonnie a fush, but I shall be obleeged to ye if ye 
 will not mention my interfeerence in the matter." 
 
 Needless to say, I gave the promise, and how that 
 fish was caught or by whom it was gafied has ever 
 remained a mystery, for on reaching home unperceived 
 in the dusk, I took my prize to my bedroom, wrapped 
 it up in a clean towel, locked it up in a portmanteau, 
 and then in the dead of night, when the household 
 was snoring, I carried it on tiptoe to the larder, where 
 it was quietly deposited. 
 
174 LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 The appearance of the minister on the scene was 
 accounted for by his having seen the top of the rod 
 flashing in the sunlight above the bank, and being 
 alone on the return journey, having given his man 
 leave to stay the rest of the day with some relations, 
 he had left his trap on the roadside, well aware the 
 old horse would stand still for ever, to come post- 
 haste, full of righteous indignation, to discover which 
 of his parishioners was desecrating the Sabbath, when, 
 finding it was only a heathen Sassenach at work, he 
 allowed his sporting instincts to overcome his religious 
 feelings. 
 
 Thus ended my first and last Sunday fishing in 
 Scotland. To those who do not fish it may seem 
 surprising that I risked damnation for a paltry twenty- 
 pounder ; to those who do fish it may perhaps seem 
 equally odd that other Sundays were not devoted to the 
 same sport. Thus, as there is no just pleasing every 
 one, I hope that both fisher and non-fisher will forgive 
 me for a first ofi'ence. 
 
 During this visit to Gaick I had the additional 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 176 
 
 pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mr. Archibald 
 Thorbum, who came to stay a few days on purpose 
 to study ptarmigan for the late Lord Lilford's book 
 of British Birds. As he then was not so celebrated 
 as at present, I was fortunate enough to secure his 
 services for the illustrations of my book of ** Shooting 
 and Salmon Fishing," while later on he also drew for 
 my " Highland Sport " and " The Deer Forests of 
 Scotland." The original drawings of the two first- 
 named books are in the possession of my friend Charles 
 Baily, of Brighton, while those of the last-mentioned 
 volume are safely housed in Mr. Charles Rudd's newly- 
 built house of Ardnamurchan, in Argylshire; and I do 
 not think that there exists a prettier series of twenty- 
 four drawings of sport with rifle, rod and gun than 
 these are. 
 
 As, during the period of Thorburn's stay at Gaick, 
 it so happened that our host was away on a visit, 
 and thus to my lot it chiefly fell to pilot the artist 
 into the wildest and most beautiful bits of ptarmigan 
 ground in the forest, and on departing he gave me, as 
 
176 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 a souvenir of his visit, a very charming little water- 
 colour drawing of a fine old cock grouse sitting on a 
 rock, with some hinds and a stag in the distance, which 
 is now one of the chief ornaments of my Game Book. 
 
 Returning south, there came some more days at 
 Tillingbourne, Hall Barn, and Charlecote, and on the 
 21st November I arrived again at Balls Park, in company 
 with my brother-in-law. Lord Erskine, the party getting 
 the next day 701 head, chiefly pheasants. 
 
 On the 25 th I was off" to Midhurst, to stay at the 
 hotel there with Frank Lawson, who had rented the 
 late Lord Egmont's pheasant shooting at Cowdray Park 
 for the rest of the season. Kight comfortable quarters 
 were to be found in that hotel, a favourite one to 
 visitors to Goodwood. F. Morrice, Sir John Kelk, 
 John Foster and his son were the party, the bag for 
 the next three days being 839 pheasants, 14 woodcock, 
 9 hares, 45 rabbits. The pheasant shooting here is 
 certainly some of the prettiest in the kingdom, for the 
 scenery is beautiful, and, as many of the covers are 
 on hillsides, the birds came very high ; while Norman, 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 177 
 
 the head keeper, has a perfect knowledge of his business, 
 with a fine staff of assistants and beaters to help him. 
 
 On December 19th and 20th I had other two days at 
 Cowdray, Sir George Prescott, Sir Philip Egerton, Colonel 
 Legh, and Algernon Turner completing the party. Both 
 days were wet and windy, but we got 533 pheasants on 
 the first one, and 183 cocks on the next, with 10 
 woodcocks. Then, in January, 1890, came more days at 
 Cowdray, Colonel Legh, Nicol of Ballogie, and Cecil 
 Block helping ; and, though the season was coming 
 to an end, we got 445 cock pheasants, which made 
 the 4000 birds that Lord Egmont had said could 
 be killed. I am not aware of the total acreage of 
 cover on the Cowdray property ; suffice it to say, 
 there are seventeen days of cover shooting ** first time 
 through," which is not often surpassed. 
 
 The 28th and 29th January found me at Charlecote, 
 where on the 30th and 31st Spencer and Berkeley 
 Lucy, Colonel Paulet, Smith-Eylands, Lord Garrioch, 
 and myself shot with Louis Greville at Warwick Castle. 
 During the first two days at Charlecote we drove 
 
178 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 partridges, wlien I was somewhat taken aback by Lucy 
 asking me to shoot cocks only ! At the first it seemed 
 almost an impossibility. However, on learning from 
 the other guests that " the Squire " usually tried this 
 plan for the last few days of the season, I said I would 
 do my best; and any one will soon find, if all thought 
 of making a right and left is discarded, that the matter 
 is by no means a difficult one to accomplish, for, when 
 the light is good, with the hedges high enough to allow 
 the shooter to stand well back and thus enable him to 
 see the birds in front of him, the horse-shoe of the 
 cock shows out very clearly. Half-a-dozen good shots 
 working in this style during the last few days of the 
 season will be doing no slight service to that ground, 
 as cock partridges are ever too numerous, for the old 
 ones will not permit younger ones to nest anywhere 
 near them. 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 179 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 1890. 
 
 From the 18 th March to the 2nd April I was the 
 
 guest of Charles Baily, at Aberlour, on the Spey, 
 
 from whence we fished the Wester Elchies water, which 
 
 he had rented for the spring. A fine stretch this, 
 
 though like all the rest of the Spey, but poorly stocked. 
 
 Here again the little minnow showed the way, for, 
 
 during the twelve days I used it, twelve salmon and 
 
 forty-six kelts yielded to its fascinations. In the same 
 
 time Baily, with old Cruickshank — " the king of the 
 
 Spey" — both using fly, only got four salmon and 
 
 fourteen kelts between them. Not going north for 
 
 the 12th of August, I opened the season as usual on 
 
 the 1st of September at Balls Park, where in ten 
 
 days four of us got 440 partridges, with some hares 
 
 and rabbits. 
 
 N 2 
 
180 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Next starting for Glen Tromie, I arrived there on 
 the 16th, to stay till 6th of October ; Frank and 
 Bob Hargreaves, Frank Gist, Charles Greenfield, Shaw- 
 Kennedy, were also of the party. During this visit 
 there were some very pleasant days of joint grouse 
 driving with the late Mr. Heywood Lonsdale, the 
 master of the Shropshire, who rented Invereshie. Our 
 kill for the time I was there was 14 stags, 394 grouse, 
 with the usual variety of other game. During the 
 first three days of October it rained nearly incessantly, 
 the Tromie becoming so flooded as to resemble a big 
 roaring river, as may be imagined when in one day, 
 in less than five hours, it rose over eight feet. My 
 host and I being at Glen Tromie during these wet days, 
 we had a try for some of the very large trout which 
 quit Loch Insh to spawn in this tributary of the Spey. 
 Attacking them for a few hours at a time on the 
 1st and 2nd of October, we took altogether eleven 
 brown trout, weighing 44 lbs., the two heaviest being 
 6 1 and 6 J lbs. Of these whoppers there is a large 
 supply in Loch Insh, but from early spring to the 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 181 
 
 end of October they are absolutely untakeable by any 
 lure whatsoever ; matters are changed only when the 
 first August floods come down the Feshie and the 
 Tromie, inducing them to quit Loch Insh in search of 
 spawning places in these two streams, when they will 
 dash fearlessly at a small phantom minnow. 
 
 On October 7 th I arrived at Aiken way, by Craigel- 
 lachie, on a visit to Willie Menzies of Culdares ; Charles 
 Pelham Burn from Pitcroy was also there, our fourth 
 rod being our hostess, the best lady fisher I ever 
 saw, and an excellent exponent moreover of the Spey 
 cast. In seven days of hard work we took but fifteen 
 fish between us, none of which were large ones, a truly 
 disappointing result for the last week of the Spey 
 season. The remarks in my diary are : " Hardly a fish 
 to be seen in the whole water ; each season the river 
 gets worse and worse, and the poor old Spey has gone 
 to pot." 
 
 On the 5th and 6th of November came two nice 
 days at Tillingbourne, where I met Henry Perkins, 
 the late Secretary of Lord's, Charles Baily, Sir Trevor 
 
182 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Lawrence, Welbore Ellis, and Charles Fuller. On 
 returning to town on the 7th, I was greatly distressed 
 to hear my old friend Spencer Lucy had died on the 
 previous day, while I was shooting pheasants, totally 
 ignorant that he was so much as ailing, pneumonia 
 having carried him off in three days while on a visit 
 to Christopher Tower at Weald Hall, Brentwood. On 
 the 11th I, with very many others, was present at 
 his interment in the Charlecote vault. The Squire's 
 old mare " Maggie," who had carried him so often and 
 so faultlessly over the hills of Corrour during many 
 seasons of deer-stalking, drew him to his last resting- 
 place, and the faithful creature quite seemed to know 
 what had happened, for I never saw an animal look 
 more dejectedly downcast. 
 
 Then came days at Balls Park and Hall Barn, with 
 one at Wotton with Mr. Evelyn and another at Maple- 
 ton with Henry Faudel Phillips. On the 16th, 17th 
 and 18th we had an extra good "go" at Hall Barn, 
 the guns being Willie Lawson, Brydges Willyams, Count 
 Miinster, the late Sir John Astley, Portman Dalton and 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 188 
 
 T. D. Croft. The two days gave us 951 head, of which 
 842 were pheasants. To me, however, the chief feature 
 of the visit was the brilliant display of "crackers" let 
 off by " The Mate " and Portman Dal ton, who between 
 them kept us each day after dinner in one continual 
 roar of laughter. One of the features of a day's 
 partridge shooting at Hall Barn is the luncheon cart, 
 an invention of Sir Edward's. It started in life as 
 an Irish car, and has been developed into something 
 very much better. It holds lunch and all accessories, 
 has an ice well, two seats, two benches, each of which 
 takes to pieces and packs into the car. When in use, 
 the usual seats are the buffets, the boards on either 
 side on which the feet ought to rest serve the purposes 
 of tables, at which the benches enable the shooters to 
 sit and eat in comfort. 
 
 On the 18th and 19th I shot with the late 
 A. Hamilton Bruce, of Falkland Palace, at North 
 Mymms Park, near Hatfield, the others of the party 
 being the Hon. R. Villiers, Hon. F. W. Anson, George 
 Faudel Phillips, Colonel Fellowes, Colonel Rogers, 
 
184 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 R. T. Ellison, and Captain Levita. It snowed hard 
 each of these days, and the bag came to but 358 
 head, which in better weather would have been doubled. 
 This frost, commencing on the 16th of December, 
 lasted until the end of the shooting season, and as in 
 most of the southern counties there were heavy snow 
 storms, it practically put an end to gunning operations. 
 During this frosty period Sir George Pigot and I made 
 many excursions from Brighton to Shoreham and Lewes 
 Marshes, where between us we made the odd bag of one 
 white-fronted goose, one bittern, three wild ducks, six 
 snipe, and a hen smew. Pigot had as good a chance of 
 a right and left at a company of white-fronted geese as 
 could be desired, for in that winter Lewes Marsh was full 
 of geese of all sorts, but, as there was no cover more 
 substantial than a gate post, they were unapproachable 
 by stalking, and the only way to get a shot was to 
 find them with the spy-glass, and that done, we headed 
 them by making a long detour, and crawled up to gate 
 posts wide from each other, behind which we squatted ; 
 then as soon as our driver had watched us into 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 185 
 
 position through his spy glass, he started straight for 
 the birds, and having put them up, it was a matter 
 of chance as to whether they came over us. After a 
 few days we began to learn their line of flight to the 
 sea, and profiting by this, the geese on several occasions 
 had come so near to Pigot that he had heard the 
 No. 1 shot from his twelve-bore rattle against the birds 
 without producing any other efiect than to quicken 
 their flight. Determined to alter this state of affairs, 
 off he went to Messrs. "Weston, the well-known Brighton 
 gunmakers, from whom he borrowed a double eight- 
 bore, weighing some twelve pounds. The first day he 
 took this ponderous weapon out we soon found a small 
 lot of thirteen white-fronted geese busy feeding on the 
 grass, so, after getting into position, the birds were 
 duly moved. My friend sat behind a gate-post on a 
 frozen puddle, while the disturbed geese came quite 
 low, only a few yards off the ground, directly on to 
 him. Taken by surprise, he fired instantly, only to 
 miss, when the recoil of the heavy gun, helped by 
 the position in which he was sitting, rolled him over 
 
186 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 feet uppermost in the air, from which pose he could 
 not recover himself in time to give them the second 
 barrel. The birds then rose high, but luckily came 
 straight over me. I had treble A shot in the right 
 barrel of my twelve-bore, which was discharged ineffec- 
 tually ; then followed the second barrel, loaded with 
 sixteen pellets of S.S.G., when out of the clouds came 
 with a rushing sound a great goose, to fall with a noisy 
 thud on the frozen grass some seventy yards behind 
 me. It was indeed a pity Pigot had discarded his 
 twelve-bore in favour of the big gun, for, as he is far 
 above an average shot, he must have got a brace. 
 
 This was the first white-fronted goose I had ever 
 shot, so, having read they were "the ortolans of the 
 goose tribe " and considered great delicacies, I sent it 
 to the late George Bonnor, who delighted in giving 
 his intimates good things, and who also knew no more 
 about white-fronted geese than I did ; therefore, a few 
 rather particular friends were invited to meet this 
 goose when cooked, while loudly Bonnor sang its 
 praises as it was being carved. He and I got helped 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 187 
 
 last ; one mouthful was enough ; it was beastly, oily, 
 tough, and fishy. Long faces were plentiful round the 
 table, and then, they seeing that their verdict was also 
 ours, we all had a hearty laugh, and a " go " each of 
 liqueur brandy put matters right. 
 
 1891. 
 
 From the 11th February to 16 th March I fished the 
 Carlogie water of the Dee with Charles Baily, staying 
 at Kincardine O'Neil. The weather proved cold and 
 boisterous, and there were very few fish in the water, 
 for, as the whole of this stretch is a high-water 
 fishery, it was of course at summer level during most 
 of the time we were there, and but nineteen fish 
 between us was the score. 
 
 The enormous quantities of kelts found in the Dee 
 in the months of early spring bring into greater 
 prominence here than on less plentifully stocked rivers 
 the subject of kelt preservation, of which I am a warm 
 advocate. Such vast numbers, however, met their 
 death each season by cold steel on this river, that in 
 
188 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 1894 the Marquis of Huntly issued a circular to 
 Deeside anglers asking them to refrain from gaffing 
 the kelts — an appeal which should commend itself to 
 all good fishermen, not only on the banks of the Dee, 
 but on every other river where rods are plied in the 
 early spring. To gaff the kelts is the custom in 
 many places, and anglers have doubtlessly become so 
 habituated to the practice as to unthinkingly lend 
 themselves to its perpetuation. In this matter the law 
 of the land is a most half-hearted piece of legislation, 
 which badly requires alteration. At present anyone 
 found in possession of a kelt may be fined five 
 pounds, which penalty was no doubt directed against 
 poachers and the traffic in and export of foul fish. 
 The law having thus emphatically recognised the use- 
 fulness of the kelt, nevertheless allows anglers to 
 destroy them in great numbers by the gaff, and so 
 long as the mortally wounded fish is cast back to 
 the river, legal requirements are fulfilled ; therefore, 
 as the statute now stands, an angler may fearlessly 
 kill any number of kelts as long as he does not 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 189 
 
 keep them, while if a poacher or shepherd has but 
 one in his possession, whether for sale or for food, he 
 is promptly fined five pounds. 
 
 The total annual waste of salmon life caused by the 
 gafi" is something very large. For instance, on the Dee 
 in the spring of 1891, fully two thousand clean fish 
 were taken by the rods up to the end of April, and it 
 may be accepted that an equal number of kelts were 
 brought to bank, and if even only half of these were 
 killed in the gaffing, it would be far too large a yearly 
 tribute to cold steel. Personally, I do not think it is 
 nearly every other fish that survives the barbarous 
 operation, for I remember, when I was fishing the 
 Crathes water, the anglers on some of the reaches above 
 made a practice of gaffing every kelt they landed, which 
 filled the pools I was casting with dead and dying fish, 
 the most of which I took out to satisfy myself as to 
 the cause of death. 
 
 My game book tells me I took in the season of 
 1884, by the end of April, three hundred and thirty -five 
 fish out of the Kineskie and Crathes water, of which but 
 
190 LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 thirty-five were clean, or an average of between seven 
 and eight foul fish for every fresh-run one ; but this 
 was an exceptionally heavy take of kelts. There are but 
 few anglers who would grumble if a fine were imposed 
 on gaffing a kelt, which would be a better plan than 
 forbidding the carrying a gafi" until after a certain 
 date, as is now being done on a few rivers, the landing 
 net required for salmon being perforce so large as to 
 entail the necessity of a gillie to carry and use it ; 
 moreover, there are numbers of anglers who delight in 
 going out quite alone, as well as others who cannot 
 afford the expense of an attendant, and thus I would 
 make it a fineable ofi'ence to put cold steel into a kelt, 
 and then leave each angler to his own devices. I am 
 credibly informed that kelt sells for sixpence a pound 
 in Aberdeen, so, therefore, any penalty should be 
 sufficiently heavy to forbid the making of a profit after 
 payment of the fine. How people can be found to 
 purchase kelt passes my comprehension, for out of 
 curiosity I once had the middle slice from a large, 
 " well mended " one boiled, and anything more horrid, 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 191 
 
 tasteless, blankety, and nauseating I cannot imagine. 
 This particular fish was so well mended that my gillie, 
 judging it to be clean, gafied it in deep water before I 
 had seen it. As it was struck through a vital part, I 
 yielded to his entreaties for permission to keep it for a 
 Sunday dinner, and thus it came about the fish was 
 knocked on the head, hidden under the bank, and 
 fetched home in the dark. My gillie warmly assured 
 me that if I would but try a piece, I should be unable 
 to detect any difference between foul and fresh-run 
 salmon, but, as will be gathered from the foregoing 
 remarks, the result did not come up to expectations. 
 
 The following 12th of August found me the guest 
 of W. H. Kansford, at Soroba Lodge, by Oban, who, 
 in addition to the shooting of the estate, also had the 
 sporting over the south end of the Isle of Kerrera, a 
 ground which, if properly looked after, is capable of vast 
 improvement. As it was a bad grouse and black-game 
 season, we got but ninety-nine grouse, ten black-game, 
 ten snipe, two teal, and five hares up to the 31st 
 August. 
 
192 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 As usual, on the 1st September I revisited Balls 
 Park, Charles Wodehouse, Harold Finch Hatton, and 
 Fred Wingfield making up the shooters, when in 
 twelve days we got exactly 500 head, of which 468 
 were partridges. 
 
 The 30th of September saw me the guest of Frank 
 Lawson at one of the most sporting places in Scotland, 
 viz., Pitfour by Mintlaw, in Aberdeenshire. Here I also 
 found Cecil Block, A. K. Foster, Reggie Turner, and 
 Edward Hulse. This property is upwards of 22,000 acres 
 in extent, with a very pretty house placed in a large 
 park, in which there is a fine lake. In the nine days 
 I had there we killed, walking in line, 615 partridges, 
 73 pheasants, 8 grouse, 8 duck, 5 snipe, 196 hares, 
 569 rabbits, and 12 various. Hulse left us on the 
 9th of September, his place being taken by Bernard 
 Posno, who unluckily, the first day he was out, jumped 
 short at a very soft ditch, and went souse into some 
 most odoriferous refuse right up to his armpits, a pro- 
 ceeding which reduced him to going off to the nearest 
 farmhouse to borrow some clean clothes, in which he sat 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 193 
 
 till we were ready to start home ; and^ moreover, he 
 could not well do otherwise, as the suit lent him 
 belonged to a very stout man of 6 feet 2 inches, our 
 unlucky companion being slim and some eight inches 
 shorter. 
 
 From Pitfour I went to stay with Brydges Willyams 
 at Aberdalgie, on the Dupplin Water of the Earn. On 
 this trip anticipation and realization w^ere indeed wide 
 apart, for, during the whole six days I was there, the 
 river ran in an extremely dirty flood, and vexatious 
 work it was to walk daily to Dupplin Weir to look 
 at the fish passing up. Watch in hand, I used to 
 wait by the hour and count them running up, and 
 as, at whatever time of the day I paid my visit, 
 there were ever about the same number of fish 
 ascending the weir, it is quite certain several thousand 
 fish passed into the upper waters during that time. 
 On asking '* Old Tom," Willyams' fisherman, if the 
 fish ran as freely during the night as they did in 
 the day, he assured me that in the darkness they ran 
 even faster and in greater numbers, in which opinion 
 
194 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 he was confirmed by tlie river watchers. Now, as I 
 passed at least two hours each day at this much- 
 abused weir (up which I have often seen it stated 
 that no fish can ascend), and never saw less than thirty 
 fish pass up in an hour, and as this went on for five 
 successive days, I am sure I am quite within the mark 
 in saying some thousands of fish swam this weir. 
 Although nearly hopeless, I could not resist trying a 
 cast or two each day, my ultimate reward being one 
 small fish to an enormous prawn. In the season 
 previous to this, Brydges Willyams and Colonel Legh, 
 his lucky visitor, fishing opposite each other on the 
 Dyke stream, had twenty-five good fish between them 
 in a short day. 
 
 On coming south again, I had some nice days with 
 Charles Baily near Lindfield, with more good times at 
 Tillingbourne and all the other old places ; also a nice 
 day at Berry Hill, near Dorking, with Mr. Kobert 
 Barclay, and others with *' Billy " Keen at Patcham. 
 
 The 17th of December saw me again at Carnanton, 
 where I found assembled Admiral the Hon. Victor 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 195 
 
 Montagu, Colonel Legh, Ainslie Walker, and Humphry 
 Willyams ; and in the following six days we got 770 
 head, of which 718 were pheasants and 12 woodcock. 
 
 1892. 
 
 On the 23rd March I was again the guest of 
 Charles Baily at Aberlour, when, during the fishing of 
 the Wester Elchies water of the Spey till the 19th 
 April, he became a convert to the use of the natural 
 minnow. With that lure we took 32 salmon and 117 
 kelts — duly returned uninjured ; honours fairly divided ; 
 and, though the water was in good order for the fly, 
 no other two fishers on the river made nearly such a 
 score in the same period. 
 
 Balls Park again on the 1st of September, where 
 
 I stayed nearly the whole month ; Fred Wingfield, 
 
 Charles Wodehouse, Harold Finch Hatton, Charles 
 
 Greville, Colonel Daniel, and Jack Fryer appearing 
 
 alternately on the scene, for my host did not shoot 
 
 more than four guns a day. It was a very fine, hot 
 
 2 
 
196 LEAVES PROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 month, and in nineteen days we got 646 partridges 
 and 64 head of other things. During my stay 
 here this season several of us were witnesses of a 
 very remarkable piece of marksmanship made by a 
 distinguished foreign guest at Balls Park, who here 
 made his debut at partridge shooting. In other lands 
 bears, wolves and wild boars had fallen victims to his 
 aim, but up to this time the pursuit of the merry 
 little brown bird was absolutely a sealed book to him, 
 so it was not surprising that he made but little show. 
 After we had been walking in line for some time, an 
 under-keeper joined us with the news that several 
 coveys of birds had settled on a closely shorn stubble 
 field in front of us, and, as on the far side of it 
 there was a thick high hedge, we agreed to make a 
 detour, line the hedge, and have the stubble driven 
 to us. Our novice was placed in the middle of the 
 line, and was hardly there before a large covey of 
 birds came calling high over his head. Holding his 
 gun at arm's length in front of him, with the stock 
 turned directly to the earth, just as if he were 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 197 
 
 a saluting sentry, both barrels were discharged, and to 
 our great astonishment and his great joy, three birds 
 fell from the covey 1 
 
 On the 29 th I was again at Aberdalgie with Brydges 
 Willyams, and now I had my revenge for the bad luck 
 of the previous season. In nine days, during which my 
 host and I got 34 fish, there fell to my lot a red- 
 letter one of six fish, headed by that forty-pounder 
 which is the fulfilment of the dream of all anglers, 
 and which I never expected to have the good fortune 
 to realize, for there are hundreds and hundreds of 
 fishermen to whom such a stroke of luck never comes. 
 This fish gave me a fine fight, for I was alone, and 
 eventually gafi'ed him for myself nearly a mile below 
 where I hooked him, in the tail of Lord Dupplin's 
 stream, not far below the weir ; and from this same 
 stream the late Lord Dupplin once took twenty-one 
 fish in a day. 
 
 From Aberdalgie I went on to visit Colonel Legh 
 and Ainslie "Walker at Ballathie-on-Tay, and on the 
 12th, 13th and 15th of October we got seventeen fish, 
 
198 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 amongst them being one of 44 lbs., killed by the 
 Colonel. 
 
 Returning south, there came another good day at 
 Balls Park Wood, where, in company with. Prince 
 Edward of Saxe- Weimar, George Prescott, General 
 Fryer, Brydges Willyams, Burdett Coutts, and Sydney 
 Hankey, we totalled up 964 head, of which 726 were 
 pheasants. 
 
 On the 16th of November I came on to new 
 ground in the shape of three days at Cornbury Park, 
 Charlbury, Oxford, then rented by Mr. M. L. Wynne. 
 Our party was completed by the Hon. Eric North, 
 George Norris, Aubrey Cartwright, Christopher Tower, 
 Fane Gladwin, Hermon Hodge, Captain Waller, and 
 the unfortunate Lord Beaumont, who, later on, was 
 the victim of a fatal gun accident. We shot each 
 day in the ancient Forest of Wychwood, extending 
 to some 1700 acres, in which tradition says Robin 
 Hood and his merry men often poached. The bag 
 for the three days was 2079 head, about half 
 pheasants and half rabbits. 
 
i) 
 
LEAVES, FROM A GAME BOOK. 199 
 
 Then on December 2ncl came a very nice day with 
 Tower at Weald Hall, Brentwood, where, in company 
 with Lord Eookwood, Dorrien Smith, Colonel Kingscote, 
 and Mr. Daniel, we got 277 head, as nearly as 
 possible half pheasants and half rabbits. 
 
200 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 1893. 
 
 The 1st of April found me once more the guest of 
 Charles Baily at the Huntly Arms Hotel, Aboyne, 
 where we stayed till the 22nd. Not a drop of rain 
 had fallen since the first week in March, the hill 
 snows had melted, while each day was cloudless and 
 hot. Fishing was nearly at a standstill, so that in 
 the time named we got but eighteen fish between us, 
 while for the last week there were three rods at work, 
 as Baily had asked Percy Laming to join him. 
 
 Next, from May 20th to 27th, I spent a week at 
 the Station Hotel, Perth, with Mr. and Mrs. Brydges 
 Willy ams, they having just taken a lease of Battleby, 
 and going up to make things ship-shape. From there 
 we fished Dupplin Loch on the 24th and 26 th, and on 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 201 
 
 two very bright, hot, still days we got but seven trout, 
 the largest of which was 3^ lbs., and the smallest 1 lb. 
 The thick growth of weeds and the lowness of the loch 
 were much against us, and we were unavoidably broken 
 several times. 
 
 August 12th saw me again at Raehills with John 
 Hope Johnstone, Captain Gordon Hughes being the 
 other guest. There had been nearly incessant rain 
 from the commencement of the month, and thus we 
 found the grouse very, very wild, and in nine days 
 the bag only reached a total of 394 head, of which 
 376 were grouse. 
 
 As usual, the 1st of September found me at Balls 
 Park, where sport was much the same as before. Harold 
 Finch Hatton was again one of the party, and on the 
 evening of his arrival my daughter, aged twelve, came 
 rushing to my room, and excitedly asked me to come 
 on to the lawn, as a gentleman had just arrived who 
 * * was throwing a bit of wood into the air, which turned 
 into a bird and flew round the house." Unable to 
 understand what was going on, I was di'agged to the 
 
202 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 lawn, and found Finch Hatton throwing a boomerang 
 most beautifully, and really the child's description was 
 not so very wide of the mark. It was the first time 
 any of us had ever seen one thrown, and I think I 
 am right in saying our friend is the only Englishman 
 in England who can perform the feat, which is a very 
 pretty sight to witness. 
 
 Then followed various days in Sussex ; and on the 
 23rd of October, at Shermanbury Grange, Henfield, in 
 company with our host, Forrester Britten, his nephew, 
 Captain Colvin, H. R. Porter, Colonel Lyon, and the 
 Rev. A. L. Wynne, we got, on a bright, hot day, 115 
 pheasants, 4 partridges, 6 hares, and 19 rabbits. 
 
 Next, on November 6th and 7th, came two more 
 days at Balls Park, the total being 1496 pheasants, 6 
 partridges, 4 hares, 340 rabbits, and 11 various. The 
 guns were H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Edward 
 of Saxe-Weimar, Prince Adolphus of Teck, Colonel and 
 Captain FitzGeorge, Lord Gainsborough, Baron Henry de 
 Worms, Sir John Astley, and Cecil Lowther. At this 
 period " The Mate " was busy writing his book, and I sat 
 
LEA^YES FROM A GAME BOOK. 203 
 
 up with him each evening well into the small hours, 
 whilst he read me some of his MS., asking me to give 
 him any hints I could. " You yourself are a bit of a 
 book-writer," said he, " so fire a volley into me if I read 
 out anything you think Ls rubbish." He was likewise 
 possessed by a great anxiety to put his words into the 
 most polite language, while I urged him strongly to 
 leave as much of the "Astley" in them as possible. 
 
 A somewhat laughable incident happened as we were 
 all assembled at the front door in the morning, waiting 
 for the omnibus to drive us to the meet. The Commander- 
 in-Chief (and a better or a kinder one our army never 
 had), with our host, were to pony to the try sting-place, 
 and as they came through the hall to mount their 
 steeds, Astley appeared on the scene wrapped up in a 
 gorgeously loud patterned homespun coat, when, catch- 
 ing sight of him, the Duke exclaimed, "Why, Mate, 
 wherever did you go to get that ugly coat ? " To which 
 remark Sir John replied with much modesty, but yet 
 with a merry twinkle in his eye, " Well, sir, you have 
 forgotten you gave it me yourself" 
 
204 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 A further incident that put me to some confusion 
 also occurred that day. It had been arranged overnight 
 between my host and I, that on the next day he would 
 conduct H.R.H. to his stand at each beat, while, as I 
 knew the wood well, to me was deputed the placing of 
 the other guns, this being done so that the head keeper 
 might be absolutely free to superintend the stopping 
 and beating. Just before luncheon the Duke and his 
 host were some fifty yards in advance of the rest of 
 the party, all going along a very muddy ride to take up 
 positions for the ensuing beat. Whilst progressing in 
 this order, Phillips, who was busily talking to his royal 
 guest, in a moment of inattention to business, turned 
 into a ride which I knew did not lead to the spot chosen 
 for the Duke's stand, and, anxious to put matters 
 right, I trotted forward, calling out as I got near my 
 host, " Hold hard, George," when, to my confusion and 
 dismay, H.R.H. turned round and blandly remarked, 
 " Well, what is it ? " I began a hasty explanation, 
 but ere it was completed the Duke had grasped the 
 situation, and, laughing pleasantly, he said, "He ought 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 205 
 
 to have remembered there were more Georges in the 
 world than one" — a gracious speech which made me 
 quite happy, and now that it is over, I am rather 
 proud of being able to say that I, formerly an ensign 
 in Her Majesty's 25th and 41st Regiments, have 
 addressed the Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's 
 Forces by his Christian name, and yet live unreproved 
 and unscathed to tell the tale. 
 
 On November 22nd I was again a guest at Combury 
 Park, finding there Colonel Ellison, W. H. Jenkins, 
 H. B. Brookes, Hermon Hodge, Francis Maclean, Q.C., 
 George Faudel-Phillips, George Norris, and General 
 Addington. In the next three days we killed 2313 
 head, of which 1695 were rabbits and 608 were 
 pheasants. 
 
 At the end of this season Wynne gave up Cornbury, 
 and in 1895 he took the Plashett shootings near Lewes, 
 asking me if I would look after them for him, which, as 
 I was living at Brighton, was a most congenial amuse- 
 ment, giving me many opportunities of acquiring a 
 further insight into the gamekeeper's life and of studying 
 
206 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the habits of nesting game birds, for Marshall, the head 
 man at Plashett's, was an exceptionally well-spoken, 
 intelligent one, who, while freely telling me all he knew, 
 was yet quite open to change any of his own methods 
 for those likely to prove more efficacious in the pre- 
 servation of game 
 
 As birds were rather scarce on the shooting, Wynne 
 asked me to order fifty brace of Hungarian partridges, 
 so to Cross, of Liverpool, the order was sent, and, as 
 both gentlemen and keepers appear to be in some 
 doubt as to the best way of turning them out, it may 
 interest them to hear how I proceeded. 
 
 On the appointed day the birds duly arrived at 
 Isfield station, perfectly packed in lots of five brace in 
 each basket. Previously to this we had selected, in the 
 centre of the ground, a thick furze hedge, by the side of 
 which ran a rill of spring water, along which we strewed 
 a plentiful supply of barley sweepings and some Indian 
 corn. Then, having kept the birds at Marshall's cottage 
 tili about an hour before dusk, we carted them to the 
 vicinity of the chosen spot, and, after studying the 
 
LEAVES FEOK A GAME BOOK. 207 
 
 direction of the wind, we picked out a comer of a field 
 hemmed in by high hedges, between two and three 
 hundred yards from the furze. Then, placing a basket 
 on the grass, I cut the fastenings, when away went the 
 five brace of birds, clearly overjoyed at regaining their 
 liberty, and, flying straight down wind, they alighted 
 exactly as we hoped, which, however, they were almost 
 bound to do, as we stood directly behind the liberated 
 birds, while the tall hedges on either side shut out all 
 other view of the country. As soon as they settled they 
 began to run about and call and examine their new 
 quarters, while in ten minutes some of them were 
 feeding, as I could see with my binoculars. At intervals 
 of five minutes we released the remainder, the whole 
 of them making straight for the hedge of furze. 
 Finer or healthier birds I never saw, and, though a 
 little food was put down for the next ten days, they 
 had learned to do for themselves long before that 
 time had lapsed, and they eventually paired with their 
 English brothers and sisters and bred well. 
 
 I believe this plan of giving Hungarian partridges 
 
208 LEAVES FEOM A GAI^IE BOOK. 
 
 their liberty just before dusk is a better one than 
 that, so often advised, of turning them out in darkness. 
 The great points are to get the wind blowing direct 
 to the spot choseii for them to fly to, and then to 
 give the birds little or no chance of seeing any other 
 place to make for. 
 
 Next, in the month of December, came a lot of 
 small days — none the less sporting on that account — 
 with Arthur Whitaker at West Grinstead Park, at 
 Shermanbury Grange with Forrester Britten, at Skeynes 
 Hill with Charles Baily, and at Laughton, near Lewes, 
 with Sir James Duke. Here, on the last day but one 
 of this shooting season, in company with my host. 
 Colonel Dudley Sampson, Alfred Broadwood, and J. 
 Baxendale, we got nineteen brace of driven birds in 
 the highest wind I ever shot in. 
 
 1894. 
 
 The 1st of September found me in the old Hertford- 
 shire quarters, where in two days we got 410 partridges, 
 14 hares, 18 ducks, 16 rabbits, and 5 various ; but 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 209 
 
 this total includes a very nice day with Charles 
 "Wodehouse at his pretty place, Wolmers Park, near 
 Hertford. 
 
 On the 23rd of October and three following days I 
 stayed with Captain H. P. Holford at Alderholt Park, 
 near Fordingbridge, which he had rented for this 
 season ; and here I met General Truell, Charles 
 Radclyffe, and Captain Custance. Gales and heavy 
 showers prevailed on all the four days, interfering 
 greatly with the making of as good a bag as was 
 expected. 
 
 On the 8 th of November came a pleasant day with 
 Whitaker at West Grinstead Park, where I met Captain 
 Rawson, Captain Fenwick, General Godman, A. Scrase- 
 Dickens and Walter Skingley, the bag being 125 head, 
 of which 111 were pheasants, and I killed my first 
 hare this season I 
 
 The 12th of November and three following days I 
 stayed with Colonel Cornwall Legh, at High Legh Hall, 
 Knutsford, meeting there Brydges Willyams, Colonel 
 Ireland Blackburn, Colonel Rowley Egerton, S. Le 
 
210 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Hunte Hobson, T. and H. Sowerby, and T. Pilkington. 
 The four days produced 1695 head, 1208 being 
 pheasants ; also there were 250 hares, a very unusual 
 thing to come across now-a-days, and only to be 
 explained by the fact that the Colonel and his tenants 
 are the best of friends. The brothers Sowerby are well 
 known as two first-class shots, and it was a pretty 
 sight to see them, when standing next each other at 
 a small partridge drive, drop eight birds with as many 
 cartridges out of two coveys that passed between them. 
 On the 14th I killed two pheasants with one barrel, 
 which I have never seen done either before or since. 
 They were the only two birds on the wing, and, 
 flushed a long way off, they were coming very high in 
 the air. I pulled as the cock cleared the trees, when 
 both — the other a hen, apparently some ten yards 
 behind the first bird — collapsed and fell quite dead. 
 Colonel Legh's breed of wavy-coated retrievers and 
 black field spaniels are too well known to require any 
 praise, and "Miner II." and ** Crackle," the spaniel, are 
 just as good as dogs can be. 
 
CoLNNEL H. Cornwall Legh. 
 " Miner H." "Crackle." 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAIIE BOOK. 211 
 
 This trip over, there ensued various days at West 
 Grinstead Park ; at Coolhurst, near Horsham, with 
 Alwyne Scrase-Dickens ; at Knepp Castle with Sir 
 Raymond Burrell ; at Shermanbury, Hall Bam and 
 Laughton. At Knepp there are at times large 
 quantities of snipe congregated together at each end 
 of the long sheet of water running through the park. 
 The only way of getting at them is to drive them, 
 but they often rise too high before coming over the 
 guns, while at all times they are difficult to shoot, as, 
 when they fly in wisps, they swerve in all directions 
 the moment they see the shooter, and for these reasons 
 the list of slain was seldom in proportion to the 
 number of cartridges expended, fifteen snipe and two 
 teal being the best recorded result of the two drives. 
 
 On the 7th of January, 1895, a long spell of frost 
 
 set in, which lasted for two months, and during this 
 
 period, in company with Captain Robert Sandeman, 
 
 various excursions to Lewes Marshes were made. 
 
 Amongst other things we killed was a purple sandpiper, 
 
 a woodcock off a grass field, and a white-fronted goose, 
 
 p 2 
 
212 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 this latter bird being killed dead at fully 150 yards 
 by a pellet of S.S.G. from Sandeman's eight-bore. In 
 mentioning this very long shot, it must not be for- 
 gotten that there are but twelve pellets of S.S.G. to 
 the ounce, that the gun was loaded with two ounces 
 of this, and that each pellet of the charge was in 
 reality a small bullet, and one of them happened to 
 catch the white-fronted one fair in the very middle 
 of his neck ; and, on joining forces, we remarked 
 simultaneously to each other, " Well, that was a most 
 unlucky bird." 
 
 1895. 
 
 The 1st of August found me at Battleby, near Perth, 
 fishing with Brydges Willyams till the 10th. During 
 that time the river was low, with the weather sultry, 
 and I got but two fish, both in the Black Craig, each 
 coming to minnows I had caught in a burn hard by. 
 
 The "twelfth" found me at Derculich by Grandtully, 
 the guest of Captain Holford. For its size this is 
 perhaps one of the most comfortable houses in Scotland ; 
 
 .iM 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 213 
 
 tlie moor," however, is some distance away, and so small 
 that it can easily be shot over in a day. My host had 
 the bad luck to injure his ankle on the first day, thus 
 being, to my great regret, incapacitated from taking the 
 hill again during the rest of my stay. I had five 
 other days on the moor, with Sir Berkeley Sheffield 
 for companion, getting just over fifty brace of grouse. 
 There is also some low ground shooting in Strath Tay, 
 with half a mile of fishing in that river; but except 
 in the early spring this is of no account, Holford's total 
 take from June to the 15 th of October being one grilse, 
 and lucky indeed to get even that! 
 
 The 20th of August found me the guest of the Duke 
 of Westminster, on Lochmore, in Sutherland, somewhat 
 of a " far cry," for after reaching Lairg there is yet 
 forty miles of posting. All that, however, is as 
 nothing when once the hospitable doors of Lochmore 
 Lodge are reached. Then the only trouble to anticipate 
 (and the longer one stays the greater the difficulty) 
 is taking one's departure without looking and feeling 
 so dejected as to deprive one of the ability of doing 
 
214 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the same with good grace. The Duke had also invited 
 Archibald Thorburn to arrive with me, so, having met 
 at Inverness, we did the rest of the journey together. 
 
 On reaching Lairg, we learned that the recent 
 bursting of a waterspout in the hills had carried away 
 one of the bridges on the road to our destination ; 
 under these circumstances we had to proceed by water, 
 and a small launch from the hotel being ready, we 
 puffed away up Loch Shin to Overscaig, where a 
 " machine " duly meeting us, we reached Lochmore in 
 time for a late dinner. 
 
 In addition to the house on Lochmore, at Kyle 
 Strome, eight miles off, the Duke has a smaller house, 
 beautifully and romantically situated close to the narrow 
 ocean entrance to the salt water lochs of Glen Coul and 
 Glen Dubh, and there we heard that Lord and Lady 
 Arthur Grosvenor and Lord Belgrave were staying for a 
 few days' stalking. 
 
 On the 23rd I stalked on the home beat at the 
 back of the Lodge, which at this period of the year 
 is chiefly hind ground, and though we spied several 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 215 
 
 fine fat stags, as bad luck would have it, they were 
 all off our beat ; so, finding nothing but small stags, 
 I did not fire a shot. Thorburn went with me all day, 
 and took several pretty sketches and photographs of 
 the gillies with their ponies. Whilst at dinner, the 
 Kyle Strome express brought word that the party there 
 had got three stags that day. 
 
 On the 24th, although it blew a gale, with heavy 
 showers falling, Charles Cavendish went to the hill and 
 got a nice stag, while I tried to fish Loch Stack; 
 but the wind was so fierce that our boat could not 
 face the loch proper, and we had to work in a sheltered 
 comer at one end of it, where I took about a dozen 
 nice sea trout. In the afternoon the Kyle Strome 
 party arrived at Lochmore, when it was arranged we 
 were to take their places on Monday, this day being 
 Saturday. 
 
 On the 26th I started, at nine o'clock, to stalk over 
 the hills between Lochmore and Kyle Strome, with 
 William Elliot as companion. It was luckily a day 
 so splendid that the keenest stalker or the most 
 
216 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 enthusiastic lover of scenery could wish for nothing 
 better than the chance of making this tramp. The 
 Duke, Captain and Mrs. Lawley, and Thorburn were 
 to steam round to Kyle Strome in the More Vane 
 (the Big Witch), a really lively lady, who could roll 
 to a pretty good tune when facing the swell of the 
 Atlantic driven through the Minch by a north wind. I 
 had ridden to the first spying place, where, meeting 
 Elliot, we proceeded to inspect the ground in front of 
 us, when, greatly to his surprise, not a horn was 
 visible. We resumed our march, Elliot gently remark- 
 ing, " Just bide a wee, sir," as he pointed significantly 
 to the sky-line in front of us. 
 
 This was reached in due course, and crouching 
 low as we crossed it, and then finding a comfort- 
 ably dry place to sit on, the spy-glasses again made 
 their appearance, and this time there were indeed 
 plenty to be seen, for dotted all around us were such 
 numbers of stags as to cause my man to whisper that 
 nearly the whole of those on the beat must have 
 gathered into this one part of it. There were stags 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 217 
 
 alone, others in twos and threes, and again goodly 
 herds, so that it now became not so much a matter 
 of picking out a shootable beast as a question of 
 selecting the fattest that was stalkable, for I must 
 remind my readers this was but the 26th of August, 
 and for this reason many more than half the stags in 
 sight still bore velvet. There were, however, a good 
 few quite clean horns, while upward of a dozen could 
 be seen with antlers already burnished and getting 
 dark. Almost as Elliot asked me to turn my glass on 
 to "yon bonnie beast" to see if he should not be the 
 one for which we should have a try, I was anxiously 
 inspecting a yet bonnier specimen lying by himself a 
 long way in front of us. Pointing him out, there 
 ensued a discussion as to whether it would be possible 
 to get to him without moving many other deer, or 
 indeed alarming the whole corrie. It being eventually 
 determined to go for Elliot's find, half an hour later, 
 after a short piece of very dirty crawling, we found our- 
 selves but only fifty yards ofi" the bonnie one. This was 
 a deal too near to make me happy, for I dislike these 
 
218 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 shots at such close quarters, well knowing how high the 
 Express rifle throws the bullet in the first fifty yards 
 of its flight ; while also at such short ranges there 
 is ever a much greater chance of being detected as the 
 top of one's cap comes into sight. On this occasion, 
 however, all went well, for I remembered to align 
 the rifle sights quite on the outline of the body, but 
 directly under the heart, so thus, on pressing the trigger, 
 he bit the dust and was absolutely dead before we got 
 up to him. A very fat stag he was ; his eight rather 
 thin points quite clean and burnished, with a span 
 of 30 inches, for in this part of the north horns seldom 
 grow either heavy or stout. That evening in the Kyle 
 Strome larder he weighed, without heart or liver, 
 17 stone 2 lbs. 
 
 Continuing to stalk our way onwards, we soon found 
 another good beast, with clean darkish horns, which was 
 about the same heavy weight as the one just killed. 
 Again Elliot took me to quite close quarters, when, as 
 I sighted the rifle, up went the stag's head, making it 
 clear I was detected and that another second would 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 219 
 
 see him galloping away. Forgetting to keep the sight 
 quite low, I pulled the trigger in a hurry, only to 
 make an abominable miss; then he unsighted me before 
 I could use the left barrel, while, on again coming into 
 view, he was well out of range, so, in a state of 
 depression, I sat watching him vanish. Now, the stag 
 when missed had been browsing on the edge of a deep 
 valley, into which we had had no chance of taking a 
 peep, and suddenly, ere I had reloaded, five stags 
 appeared galloping up from the depths below to follow 
 the friend I had so unsuccessfully disturbed. The last 
 but one was the best of the bunch — a fat, plump fellow, 
 clear of velvet. Feeling somewhat upset at having only 
 one barrel loaded, I took an extra careful aim and rolled 
 him over. After this, we made the best of our way 
 to Kyle Strome Lodge, from whence, as we neared the 
 door, our host's well-known cheery " jodel " greeted us 
 from his dressing-room window over the porch, while he 
 enquired, " What sport ? " 
 
 The 27 th was a fearfully wet, wild day ; however, 
 as the More Vane had steam up, Lawley and I started 
 
220 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 for the forest, and putting him ashore at the head of 
 Loch Dhu, he was met by Farquhar Mackenzie, the two 
 going off to the hill. The yacht then took me on to 
 Glen Coul to meet William Elliot (a brother of John's), 
 With him I had a very long, wet tramp, during which 
 we followed for many a mile a small herd of stags, 
 rendered restless by the bad weather. Just as dusk was 
 coming on I got a shot at about one hundred and fifty 
 yards, a distance, to my mind, much preferable to fifty 
 yards. The bullet sped true, dropping the stag in his 
 tracks ; it was a directly down-hill shot, and as he 
 fell on the steep slope, the muscular contractions of 
 his hind-quarters, which are ever more or less present 
 in the death throes, started him rolling before we 
 could get up to where he lay. Never before have I 
 seen such a roll as that, as for fully 300 yards his 
 carcass bounded down this broken, rocky face ; and 
 gathering impetus at every turn, he was thus so utterly 
 smashed that, when seen skinned in the larder next 
 day, he was indeed a sorry sight. 
 
 On the 27th the Duke had promised us a spectacular 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 221 
 
 treat in the shape of having the deer " moved " off Ben 
 Leod, a big bare hill on the borders of the Glen Coul 
 and Glen Dubh beats, on which from three to five 
 hundred stags were massed in unapproachable security. 
 Anxiously were we looking forward to seeing this great 
 herd of stags come over the sky-line, a show which is 
 at all times an exciting and blood-stirring one for 
 whoever beholds it. The late Sir Edwin Landseer 
 gave a fine exposition of the force of this sentiment 
 when witnessing his first deer drive. So carried away 
 was he by his feelings, that — though he had his rifle 
 in his hand, and had been solely placed where he was 
 for the express purpose of killing deer — forgetting all 
 else, he sprang upright, clapped his horror-stricken 
 gillie on the shoulder, while loudly he exclaimed, 
 " By heavens, it's a sight for a king ! " though in 
 doing this he quite spoilt the whole drive. Imagine, 
 then, our vexation when the morn of this 27th of 
 August was ushered in with rain falling in torrents 
 from leaden-coloured skies. As from the first it was 
 a hopeless day, after giving it a chance to clear up, 
 
222 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 at mid-day I steamed up to Glen Dubh and tried the 
 hill with Mackenzie, but the weather turning from bad 
 to worse, I had to come home well drenched without 
 getting a shot. On reaching Kyle Strome, which was 
 much lower-lying ground than that on which I had 
 been, I learned the weather had cleared sufficiently 
 after lunch to let Lawley go out and kill a splendidly 
 fat stag of 17 stone 5 lbs. 
 
 On the day following, the 29th, the Duke, Thorburn 
 and I started in the More Vane in a perfect deluge 
 to return by sea to Lochmore, and, though there was 
 no wind, yet the long Atlantic swell made our craft roll 
 heavily. On the route we put in to Badcall, a desolate- 
 looking village, to leave various haunches and quarters 
 of venison ; and then steaming to Scourie, we again 
 landed with more venison and also to visit Mr. Mclver, 
 for many years the Duke of Sutherland's factor in these 
 parts; and a more remarkably handsome, distinguished- 
 looking old gentleman I never set eyes on. On quitting 
 Scourie, we passed round Handa Isle, where in the 
 nesting season such vast numbers of sea birds lay their 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK 223 
 
 eggs on tlie ledges of the perpendicular rocky cliffs. 
 We then shortly entered Loch Laxford, at the end of 
 which a waggonette met us, drawn by a fast-trotting 
 pair of horses from a Sandringham sale ; and, still in 
 the ceaseless downpour, a six-mile drive brought us 
 happily to Lochmore. 
 
 August 30 th saw Thorbum and I driving back to 
 Lairg on a bright sunny day, where we parted, he 
 going south, while I stayed the night at the hotel, to 
 post next day to Langwell Lodge, on the Oykel, for 
 a visit to my old friend Captain G. W. Hunt, better 
 known to his intimates as "Jonas." As it was a poor 
 grouse season, I shot chiefly round the marches during 
 my seven days' sport, in one of which I had the not 
 to be despised help of Sir Charles Koss, of Balnagowan ; 
 when the total bag was 136 grouse, with a few black- 
 cock and hares, while, the Oykel not being in good 
 ply, we only got a fish apiece. 
 
 On the 13th of September it was ho ! for Balls 
 Park again, where I stayed till the 10th of October, 
 getting nine days of sport, which included three with 
 
224 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Charles Wodehouse at Wolmers, tlie bag being 123 
 pheasants, 281 partridges, 25 ducks, with a few hares 
 and rabbits. It was here that I heard, to my great 
 sorrow, of the death of my old friend John Hargreaves 
 at Glentromie, on the 3rd of October. 
 
 This visit over, there then came other days at 
 Shermanbury, West Grinstead Park and Coolhurst, and 
 at the last named place, with A. Scrase-Dickens, Arthur 
 Whitaker and Dr. Jukes, I had a nice day of 241 
 pheasants, 7 ducks and some bunnies ; while a few days 
 later at West Grinstead, with Arthur Whitaker, in 
 company with General Kerr, General Lance, Colonel 
 Kilgour and Scrase-Dickens, we got 315 pheasants, 
 with 37 head of other sorts. Then came another trip 
 to High Legh, where I found exactly the same party 
 as in the previous season. In very wet weather, the 
 four days gave us 1388 head, of which 1127 were 
 pheasants, with 151 hares. 
 
 The 16th of December found me at Normanby Park, 
 Doncaster, visiting Sir Berkeley Sheffield, and meeting 
 there Colonel St. Quentin, G. Carey Elwes, T. Poynter 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 225 
 
 and Sir Joseph Savory. The four days resulted in a 
 total of 1632 head, of which 1208 were pheasants. 
 Then more days at West Grinstead Park, Patcham and 
 Knepp Castle, brought the shooting season of 1895-96 
 all too soon to an end. 
 
226 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 1896. 
 
 On March 27th I arrived again at Langwell Lodge, 
 in Ross-shire, to wage war against the Oykel salmon ; 
 and for the excellent photographs of this place and 
 Carnanton I am indebted to the kindness of my 
 hostess. Leaving the train at Invershin station, I 
 made for Inveran Hotel, reaching it at mid-day, when, 
 by the kind permission of Mr. Arnold, I had my first 
 cast on the Shin, he joining me in the afternoon, 
 each of us getting a good fish out of the Bridge Pool. 
 The next day I posted to Langwell, finding Captain 
 and Mrs. Hunt, with the two keepers, MacLeod and 
 Mackintosh, waiting to welcome me on the north side 
 of the wire foot suspension bridge, the two men soon 
 carrying my baggage across to the lodge. Sport 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAJSLE BOOK. 227 
 
 promised well, for I heard from my hostess that she 
 
 had killed six fish, averaging ten pounds each, the day 
 
 before — all of which were hooked while wading, which 
 
 is a record performance, I think, for a lady facing 
 
 snow water in the month of March. When in ply, 
 
 this river is a charming one to fish, but, as it has 
 
 no large loch to keep it going, like the Shin and 
 
 the Awe, unless the weather is distinctly showery, it 
 
 quickly falls too low to admit of very successful 
 
 angling. 
 
 At present Captain Hunt has the whole of both banks 
 
 of the river, from the falls above Oykel Bridge Inn to 
 
 the Sutherland Kyle, a distance of some seven miles. 
 
 This stretch he divides into upper and lower beats, and 
 
 putting a limit of two rods to each section, who can use 
 
 no other lure than the fly, he allows the Oykel Bridge 
 
 inn-keeper to let one beat, while keeping the other for 
 
 himself and a guest, or for the use of whoever occupies 
 
 Langwell Lodge. As the beats are fished on alternate 
 
 days, the four rods absolutely share and share alike, and 
 
 with the water right there is no better bit of fishing 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 in Scotland for the rent. The landlord of the Oykel 
 Bridge Inn will answer all enquiries on this subject. 
 There is, moreover, ample room for two rods on each 
 beat, and the fish are bold, free risers, while much 
 of the casting requires precise neatness. During my 
 stay at Langwell, my host fished but little, as, amusing 
 himself with heather-burning and trapping, he passed 
 his rod on to Mrs. Hunt on all likely days. 
 
 I remained in these happy quarters till the 29th of 
 April ; the last ten days, however, being horridly fine, 
 sport was but poor during that time. Our take for 
 the month was 34 fish, weighing just 340 lbs., and 
 practically caught in some fifteen days. Since the 
 commencement of this season of 1897, Captain Hunt 
 has rented the Skibo and Invercarron nets, with a view 
 to making sport better both on the Carron, the Shin, 
 the Oykel, and the Casseley. "With that laudable 
 object in view, he is going to entirely remove the 
 Invercarron net for the first few months of the season, 
 so consequently it may be expected that the coming 
 months of March, April and May will show greatly 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 229 
 
 increased sport in each of these rivers ; and thus with 
 the greatest interest I look forward to revisiting Lang- 
 well in April. 
 
 The 11th of August found me again visiting Harry 
 Holford at Glenfeochan House, some four miles south 
 of Oban. The 12th was too wet for sport; but, 
 starting on the 13th, in six days of very unsettled 
 weather, we bagged, to two guns, 196 grouse, with a 
 few ducks, black-cock, and hares. Sometimes my host 
 shot with me, at others E. St. Quentin or Hardress 
 Stevenson made the second gun. Owing to previous 
 bad seasons, the bag was limited to 150 brace ; but 
 the grouse ground, if properly nursed and burnt, 
 should soon be capable of yielding double that. One 
 of the sporting features of Glenfeochan is the rabbit 
 shooting, for,, without ferreting overnight, three or four 
 guns, walking in line across the bracken-clad hills on 
 the side of Loch Feochan, could kill from seventy to a 
 hundred bunnies in a few hours, while, as they would 
 all be bolting at best pace, very quick shooting was 
 necessary. At this pretty sport I had some very nice 
 
280 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 days with my host and his two other guests, Charles 
 RadclyfFe and Edward Harrison. 
 
 The 28 th of August saw me again at Battleby with 
 Brydges Willyams, where, though we fished hard for 
 the next week, we took but seven grilse, there being 
 very few fish in the Tay. Then, on the 6th of 
 September, making Oban headquarters, there I stayed 
 until the 15th October, with my wife and daughter. 
 During that time I had some pleasant, even if 
 disappointing, days on the Awe, by the kindness of 
 Colonel Murray, of Polmaise, and Colonel Thorpe, of 
 Ardbrecknish ; for, though there were plenty of fish in 
 the water, no one could hit upon any combination of 
 fur and feather that would tempt them to rise, and 
 in some ten days only two fish rewarded our efibrts. 
 Colonel Thorpe's water is greatly spoiled by the opposite 
 bank being fished by the visitors at Taynuilt Hotel, 
 who are much too numerous to be pleasant. On the 
 last day I was on this water there were two rods 
 fishing the Cruive Pool — one done, the other com- 
 mencing — and also two more playing the same 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 231 
 
 unsportsmanlike game on the pool above, viz., the 
 Stepping-stones. Then, when the Cockneys at the 
 Cruive had each fished two flies over that pool, they 
 exchanged places with their brethren of the Stepping- 
 stones. 
 
 Nice neighbours, these ! and it is somewhat surprising 
 that the Duke of Argyll, who lets this fine stretch of 
 water to the Taynuilt Hotel, should not insist on the 
 hotel rods being strictly limited to two only, which 
 would be fair to all concerned, while also giving the 
 water a better chance of making a reputation than it 
 has at present, for the incessant flogging the best 
 pools receive entirely spoils them. Solemnly I declare 
 I counted one of the Cruive Pool Cockneys make 
 seventeen casts, each with a splash, in exactly the 
 same spot, and without pulling an inch of line off 
 his reel ! 
 
 Next came other days at Glenfeochan and on the 
 Bonawe shootings at Taynuilt, which Holford's brother- 
 in-law, Major Pearson, had rented for the season. This 
 ground is part of the, at one period, celebrated sporting 
 
232 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 estate of Campbell of Loclinell, which, when the 
 whole 55,000 acres were let en bloc, was certainly one 
 of the best all-round places in Scotland. At the 
 present day, being broken up into five or six small 
 shootings, it has become but the shadow of its former 
 self. 
 
 On September 23rd I arrived at Lamington House, 
 Lanarkshire, on a visit to Arthur Whitaker, finding 
 there his brother Albert, Sir Eaymond Burrell, Captain 
 Button Hunt, Colonel Kilgour, A. Scrase-Dickens, and 
 A. Wilkins, our hostess's brother. We got four days 
 of driving, one day of skirmishing in line, with 
 two half-days so wet that only two guns turned out. 
 During this time we bagged 451 head, of which 270 
 were driven grouse, the balance being made up of 
 every variety of game, including a few grey hens 
 killed by mistake ; indeed, one of our party showed 
 such a marked inability to distinguish grey hens from 
 grouse, that, as he shot straight, he was quickly 
 christened " Lord de Grey Hen." 
 
 On October the 3rd I returned to Battleby, 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 233 
 
 anticipating great doings. The other rods were Arthur 
 Willyams and his son Humphrey. In four days we 
 got but seven salmon and thirteen grilse, which was 
 a poor tribute from the Tay at that time of year. 
 
 In taking leave of Battleby I will relate a most 
 vexing mishap which befel one of the party staying 
 there. Twice myself have I been the victim of the 
 boy or the girl employed in small out - of - the - way 
 villages by the Government to carry on their tele- 
 graphic monopoly. On the first occasion I wired from 
 Aboyne — not a very small place either — to a London 
 commissioner, on the morning of the day Zoedone 
 won the Grand National steeplechase, " Zoedone ten 
 pounds to win." This message I gave to my gillie to 
 carry to the post-office before starting for the river- 
 side. The next morning, on seeing in the Scotsman 
 that I had won £120, a line was despatched asking 
 that a cheque should in due course be forwarded to 
 Aboyne. The reply to this was a letter saying my 
 wire had been received, but minus the name of any 
 horse, and therefore nothing had been done. Now, 
 
234 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 my gillie's wife and daughter, a child of some fifteen 
 years, kept a small shop and managed the post-office, 
 so he was sent off for information, only to return to 
 tell me : " "Weel, sir, the wife was awa*, and the lassie 
 thocht the word Zoedone was something indeecent, and 
 so she joost left it oot." Dearly as the idiotic mistake 
 had cost me, it was yet impossible to help laughing. 
 
 On another occasion a small boy put me to the 
 trouble and expense of a six hours' journey, for, having 
 mislaid an invitation, and forgetting whether it was 
 for the 17th. or 27th of the month, I wired to my 
 friend to send me a return message saying on which 
 date he expected me. He being away from home, 
 his agent, according to orders, opened the wire, and, 
 not knowing what arrangements had been made, and 
 yet being certain his chief would not be at home 
 on the 17th, wired me, ** Do not come seventeenth," 
 which message, when it reached me, read, " Do come 
 seventeenth." 
 
 These two samples of telegraphic carelessness — for 
 which there is no remedy — were, however, but as trifles 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 235 
 
 when compared with what befel our friend at Battleby, 
 for on October 25th, the Cambridgeshire day of 1893, 
 he wired to his commissioner from Redgorten, a small 
 village near Perth, " A pony each way Molly Morgan 
 and Farndale." Thus, when he came in from a good 
 day's shooting to find a wire saying that both animals 
 had won their races, he sat down to dinner under the 
 impression he had gained £578 105., for Molly started 
 at 100 to 6 against her, and Farndale at 2 to 1 
 against him. Imagine, then, his astonishment when 
 Monday came and he received but a cheque for 
 £22 105. Explanations ensued in due course, when it 
 was discovered that the post office imp, never having 
 heard of a " pony," thought it must be a clerical 
 error for a pound, and had accordingly inserted that 
 word in the wire entirely on his own responsibility ! 
 
 Returning to Oban, I finished up with three days 
 on the Bonawe shootings, kindly placed at my disposal 
 by Major Pearson, who had gone south. Quitting 
 Oban on the 15 th of October, we reached Brighton on 
 the 16th, and on the 17th I had a nice day at 
 
236 LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Coolhurst, so it will be seen no time was lost. On the 
 20tli there was also another good day at Billingbear, 
 near Wokingham, with Charles T. D. Crews, where I 
 met Lord Rathmore, Lord George Pratt, Edward 
 Cassell, Alfred Biedermann, and George Herring, the 
 bag for the day being 293 head, of which 275 were 
 pheasants. 
 
 Next came some single days at Shermanbury and 
 Coolhurst; and then the evening of the 16th November 
 found me the guest of Frank Lawson at Maeswllch 
 Castle, Glasbury-on-Wye, the party being made up by 
 Lord Hay of Kinfauns (now Lord Kinnoul), Hal 
 Faudel Phillips and " Bimbash " Stewart. Splendid 
 covers these to shoot, for fast and high did the 
 pheasants come in the four days, on one of which we 
 were joined by an extra useful shot in the person of 
 the late Mr. W. T. Baskerville, of Clyro Court. We 
 got 1262 head, of which 1133 were pheasants. The 
 bag would have been larger, but that a severe attack 
 of neuritis (which is apparently very acute neuralgia) 
 in the ball of the thumb totally incapacitated our host 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 237 
 
 from using his guns, and therefore to four guns only 
 this bag may be regarded as an extra good one. 
 
 On the 14th December I returned to MaeswUch with 
 Villiers Bagot, for Lawson, being still unable to handle a 
 gun, had very kindly put the Castle, servants, keepers, 
 horses, carriages, cellar, and everything else at our 
 disposal. During the four days of our stay we had 
 the help of the Rector of Glasbury, the Rev. H. G. 
 Griffiths, and a friend of his, when we four bagged 386 
 head, of which 321 were pheasants, mostly cocks. 
 
 By way of extra excitement, we had on the morning 
 of the 17th a somewhat sharp earthquake shock, which 
 later on we read in the newspapers had been felt over 
 a very wide area. I happened to be restless that 
 night, and when the shock came, at about 4.30 in 
 the morning, I was lying reading by candle-light. 
 Without any warning, the silence of a perfectly still 
 night was suddenly broken by a tremendous crash, 
 just as if a thousand coalies had emptied, at the 
 word of command, a thousand sacks of coals on the 
 flat leaden roof of the Castle beneath which my bed- 
 
238 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 room was situated. The whole building shook, then 
 for the fraction of a second all was still, when 
 simultaneously the green baize swing door of my 
 room began to open and shut violently, the fire-irons 
 fell, the jugs and basins rattled, while my bed, a very 
 heavy old oak four-poster, hopped rapidly from side to 
 side for some fifteen or twenty times. Though I had 
 never before felt an earthquake shock, I yet recognised 
 what the somewhat alarming disturbance must be, so, 
 jumping out of bed, I threw open the window to take 
 a look at the skies, to see if they presented anything 
 unusual in their appearance. Beholding nothing strange, 
 my attention was at once drawn to the frightened 
 crowing of every cock pheasant in the place ; the noise 
 they made was not the rather hoarse "cock-cock" of 
 the to-roost-going bird, but each one gave that peculiar, 
 jerky, shrill cry of fear uttered when a fox is about. 
 
 Then came Christmas, followed by 1897, the 5th and 
 two following days of January finding me at Knepp 
 Castle, Horsham, where, in two days, we got 48 cock 
 pheasants, 39 partridges, 15 snipe, 2 teal, 4 hares, 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 289 
 
 and 23 rabbits. On one of these days we found a 
 singular covey of partridges, in which all the cocks 
 had pure white horse-shoes. We killed three of them 
 at a drive before the matter was noticed, and then 
 Sir Raymond tried to spare the remainder to ascertain 
 if the peculiarity would be transmitted to their 
 descendants. Likewise, during this visit, Merrik Burrell 
 saw a stoat carrying a big rat on his back at a great 
 pace; this he managed to accomplish by keeping his 
 teeth fixed in the throat of his victim, while by a 
 sharp toss of the head the rat was continually 
 replaced in a portable position. 
 
 1897. 
 
 The 1st of September found me shooting with 
 Arthur Wagg, at Maresfield, near Uckfield ; but, as it 
 rained very hard all day, we came back after getting 
 a few brace. On this day, for the first time in my 
 life, I let my gun off" by accident, in the following 
 manner : — 
 
240 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 I had forced my way through a thick hedge to 
 try and turn a covey we had seen alight on a grass 
 field on the other side of it. On getting through, I 
 saw the birds running in front of me far out of shot, 
 but going in the right direction, and, as I was on the 
 extreme left of our line, I threw my gun across my 
 left arm, when a barrel exploded. Much surprised, I 
 yet managed to hold the gun, and upon examination 
 I found a large piece of blackthorn broken off from 
 the hedge and sticking exactly in the bend of the 
 elbow ; on to this I had placed the gun, and the 
 trigger was touched by " the lawyer " attached to my 
 sleeve, the result being as I have described. 
 
 Here also I will bring to the notice of my readers 
 a danger arising from the use of the hammerless gun, 
 which probably they will be aware of, but which up 
 to now I have never seen mentioned. Of course 
 hundreds and hundreds of shooters carry their guns 
 under their arms when no one is in front of them. 
 This is a very pleasant and safe way as long as the 
 arm is not raised ; but if for any reason, such as 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. Ul 
 
 lighting a pipe with the hand of the arm supporting 
 the gun, the muzzles become elevated and the stock 
 depressed, then the bearer runs a great risk of the 
 gun slipping from its position and falling butt end 
 on to the ground, and I have been witness of one 
 hair-breadth escape from a so caused accidental 
 discharge. Those who have used hammer guns a 
 great deal are very apt to run this risk, for they 
 have probably frequently lifted the elbow that 
 carried the gun, as the hammers, catching against 
 the upper part of the arm, always gave a secure 
 grip ; but when the hammers are absent there is 
 nothing to keep the gun in position, and if it slips 
 to the ground and goes oflf, the barrels will be 
 pointing nearly for certain at the head or shoulder 
 of the gun carrier. 
 
 On the 2nd of September, accompanied by Colonel 
 Gyll, I shot with Croxton Johnson on his property 
 at ' Hailsham, in Sussex ; but, instead of raining, it 
 blew a gale, and our score was but just ten brace. 
 On the 3rd, on the same estate, the weather was mor^e 
 
 B 
 
242 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 favourable, and with Captain Shiffner and Harry Scarlett 
 we bagged twenty brace. 
 
 Then the 7th saw me appearing at Lamington once 
 more, and here it was perhaps the very worst grouse 
 season ever known, as during the whole of the nesting 
 time there had been from ten to twenty degrees of frost 
 every night, which had destroyed nearly all the nests. 
 We only shot a few brace of grouse, and these were 
 mostly old birds. 
 
 On the 16th I went on to stay with Major 
 Pearson, at Quarter House, Broughton ; and here, too, 
 the grouse were nearly' extinct, and he had already 
 given over shooting them. This season was also one 
 of the very worst for salmon fishers — the moderate 
 fishings gave no sport at all, the good ones but 
 little, and the very best were poor in the extreme 
 when compared with previous years. The Spey was 
 especially bad, and the celebrated Gordon Castle water 
 exceptionally so, and no possible comparison could be 
 made between this season and that of 1886, in which 
 year, on the last day of the fishing — 15th October — 
 
LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 2& 
 
 thirteen rods killed seventy-four fish as under. Truly 
 
 a wonderful record ! 
 
 The Railway Arch : The Duke of Richmond — 
 
 19, 19, 20, 21, 24, 28, 31, 34 = 8 
 The Braehead : Colonel Corkran — 
 
 7, 19, 19, 20, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24 = 9 
 Lower Stynie : The Duke of Wellington — 
 
 22, 25j = 2 
 The Quarry : Lord Leconfield — 
 
 15, 15, 17, 19, 19, 20, 30 = 7 
 Lennox Water : Mr. J. Balfour — 
 
 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23 = 6 
 Eskil : Lord Langford — 
 
 16, 18, 18, 20, 22, 40 = 6 
 Bridge and Bulwark : Colonel Vivian — 
 
 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 = 5 
 Chapel Pool : Colonel Montagu — 
 
 18i, 21, 22 = 3 
 Otter's Cave : Colonel Pearson — 
 
 10, 20, 22 = 3 
 Carried forward . • . 49 
 
Dipple 
 
 244 LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 Brought forward '. . 49 
 
 Lady Caroline Lennox — 
 
 10, 20, 20, 25 = 4 
 Lady Florence Lennox — 
 
 16, 204, 24 = 3 
 Rock and Turn: Mr. Ogle — 
 
 7, 16, 17, 18, 18i, 19, 20, 20, 20, 26 = 10 
 The Green Bank : Lord March — 
 
 Si, 94, 10, 16, 20, 24, 25, 29 = 8 
 
 74 
 
 74 fish, weighing 1686^ lbs., or an average of just 
 under 23 lbs. a fish. 
 
 The total take to the rod on this stretch of water 
 in that season, from the removal of the nets on 27th 
 of August to this wonderful last day on the 15th of 
 October, was 819 salmon and 232 grilse, or 1051 fish. 
 
 On October 12th, 13th, and 14th I had three nice 
 
 days of sport with my old friend Joe Carter Wood, 
 
 at East Tisted Rectory, near Alton, in Hampshire. 
 
 ^ Though the bag was but 406 head — pheasants and 
 
Carter Wood's Luncheon Tent. 
 
LEAVES FBOM A GAME BOOK. 245 
 
 partridges — nearly every shot that presented itself was 
 a difficult one, and I have often seen four or five 
 times as much killed in the same time, without getting 
 one-tenth of the fun this shoot gave us. Sir Richard 
 Graham, of Netherby, the Hon. Hugh Buncombe, and 
 Colonel Edgar Larkin made up the party. 
 
 Next, on the 23rd October, I had a nice day of 
 301 pheasants as the guest of Charles Crews at Billing- 
 bear Park, Twyford, the other guns being the Hon. 
 H. Hare, William Rhodes, and Emil and Alfred Bieder- 
 mann ; and with this last-named friend, on the 20th 
 November, at Forest Lodge, Three Bridges, seven of us 
 got 520 pheasants and 4 woodcock. 
 
 Then came more days at East Tisted and Maresfield, 
 till, on the 11th December, I found myself once again 
 at Carnanton, the guest of Captain G. W. Hunt, who 
 now rents this rare good sporting place from Brydges 
 Willy ams. In three days six of us got just under 
 400 pheasants and 21 woodcock ; but here, again, the 
 shooting was all quality, for the covers are " hanging " 
 ones, and the birds were consequently very tall. On 
 
20 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 the off-days — which included two on the Gorse Moor, 
 so long attached to Carnanton, and now in the hands 
 of Mr. Michael Williams — I got forty snipe and some 
 ducks ; but there was nothing like the usual quantity 
 of "stuff" on the marsh as there was when it 
 belonged to Carnanton — a fact perhaps to be accounted 
 for by the frequency with which it is now shot, 
 and, though the total yield is about the same, the 
 glory of the big bag days has departed, and nothing 
 is now achieved on it to compare with the scores 
 made in old days by Brydges Willyams and his 
 friends, or even by myself in recent times. 
 
 On December 1st, 1885, I had 5 wild duck, 22 
 teal, and 16 snipe; on December 10th, 1886, 6 ducks, 
 8 teal, 19 snipe; on December 7th, 1887, 1 widgeon, 
 14 teal, 29 snipe; on the 12th, 1 duck, 1 widgeon, 
 10 teal, 22 snipe ; and on the 14th, 1 widgeon, 1 
 duck, 12 teal, 12 snipe. 
 
 Next, on the 31st December, I had another nice 
 day at Coolhurst, Horsham, with Scrase-Dickens, four 
 of us getting eighty pheasants second time through. 
 
LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 247 
 
 This was followed by some days with Harry Holford, 
 at Rookesbury Park, Wickham ; with Arthur Wagg, 
 at Maresfield ; and at Dan-y-Park with Louis Bonn. 
 
 And now to bring events up to the very latest 
 date, from the 31st of March to the 6th of April, of 
 1898, I fished for trout at Dan-y-Park, with Captain 
 Robert Sandeman. The Usk was at summer level, 
 the nights frosty, the days bright, and the " Cob " 
 or March Brown never really came out properly, and 
 during the period of my visit we got but 120 trout, 
 weighing 53h lbs. During my stay I saw two nests 
 of the water ousel, both holding the full complement 
 of four round white eggs, and the hens just com- 
 mencing to sit. These were the first nests of this 
 harmless bird I had ever seen. I say harmless 
 advisedly, for the belief that it feeds entirely on 
 trout and salmon ova has been proved wholly erroneous 
 — a discovery which, it is to be hoped, may become 
 more widely known, and thus save the lives of many 
 of these confiding, cheery, and pretty little anglers' 
 companions. 
 
248 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 
 
 My host of Dan-y-Park is blessed with extraordinary 
 quick eyes, educated by long practice for the discovery 
 of anything in the shape of a nest, and chiefly by 
 their aid he has put together a very fine collection 
 of eggs in clutches, to which I was enabled to make 
 a contribution in the shape of a cuckoo's egg, taken 
 under the following circumstances : — 
 
 In May, 1894, I was spending a few days at 
 Netherfield with the late Sir Charles Booth, and, a 
 shower coming on while I was in one of the gardens, 
 I took shelter in a potting house, where I found 
 Ricketts, the head gardener, and while watching him 
 at work, a cuckoo flew just over the low roof of the 
 building and dashed directly and without the least 
 faltering into a robin's nest we both knew of in some 
 ivy on a wall about twelve yards from us. 
 
 '* Lor, sir, did you ever see the like of that 1 " 
 exclaimed Ricketts. " She had her egg in her mouth." 
 
 On hearing this, I dashed forward, cap in hand, 
 to try and "bottle" the cuckoo, and certainly five 
 seconds did not elapse between seeing the bird enter 
 
LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 249 
 
 th© nest and making a rush for her. She was too 
 quick, however, although she struck my cap as she 
 dashed away. On looking into the nest, there, sure 
 enough, was her egg in the midst of the recently 
 hatched robins, one of which had been cast out of 
 the nest on to the gravel path below. We took the 
 egg and put the fledgling back, and it eventually flew 
 off with the others. 
 
 And now I am at the end of my amusement. As 
 a " game " for me these pages were commenced ; with 
 " game " they have been filled ; and it remains for me 
 but to hope they may find my readers " game " to 
 
 Thb End. 
 
LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BT WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, 
 
 8IA.MF0KD STREET AKD CHARISG CU033. 
 
. -:. ai be 
 
 - art' 
 
Augustus Grimble, son of the late William 
 Grimble of the Distillei:y, Albany Street, 
 Regents Park, born in I84O; ms^rried in I88O, 
 Allice, eldest daughter of the late Matthew 
 Edward Ward, R.A. Served in the 25th and 41st 
 Regiments, Publications - Deer Stalking, Shoot- 
 ing and Salmon Fishing; Highland Sport; The 
 Deer Forests of Scotland; Leaves from a Game 
 Book; The Salmon Rivers of Scotland; Recreations; 
 all outdoor sports. Address 44 > Duke Street, S.W.I, 
 
 Whos Who, 1919. 
 
YD 02546 
 
 !W315!918