The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-01

important days in England and to En-
glIshmen. It Is the one to which the
young and the old the rich and the poor
look forward to with more interest than
TO any holiday. Business is not closed,
and the traffic of the whole country does
not stop, as on the bank holiday, which
begins on the 4th of August, but the
festive time which always ushers in that
yearly event Is scarcely over before all
turn their eyes northward and begin to
make rapid preparations for ''the sporting
season." which the 18th stands for, and
which continues into the winter. For
days before at every railroad station in
London, and at almost every other
point in the United Kingdom, men are
gathered with their dogs and guns, all
moving in one direction, for the same OBJ
ject. Many go who are only able TO scrape
money enough together TO stay one or two
days, but an Englishman feels wealth of
comfort in being able to be on a moor on
the 18th, even if he has to go on scant IA
tons for the rest of the year.
Grouse shooting being the royal pastime
of England, where the sporting tendencies
of it's people can best be read, a friend 10
the manor born who had spent several
years in the United States. suggested the
importance, although il was late in the
year. of my accepting an invitation from
his friend. Dir. Lee, young man regarded
as prime authority upon all sports OF the
field and the turf, to go north with him.
/ had not been been shooting for many
wears. and the bait was a tempting one.
SO | found myself at u railroad station
with my host, ready for journey We
both had guns costing a great deal of
money, and there were hundreds more on
- he - IA fzear
one, through the best and rich
est scenes of agricultural life which
we gradually lett behind for the
bold and rugged evidences of a harsher
condition along the high hills to the north.
The train was filled with sportsmen, and
ment talked constantly 10 my host,
all about the approaching sport.
Ii was nearly dark when the train
set Us down at q little byway railroad sta
ton, which my host said was in the
midst of the Perthshire district. "A
machine" drawn by two horses was ready
TO take US over to "the box" called Cluny
lodge. lovely little place among the
Highlands, where | was constantly re-
minded of s'the glades," that long and
wild hunting region along the crest OF the
Allegheny mountains In the United states,
so picturesque in stream and hillside,
clearing and ravine. crossed by the Penn
sylvania railroad beyond Altoona, and
the Baltimore & Ohio at Deer Park. That
is 500 feet above the ocean. while these
Scotch moors are less than half that alti-
tude. although some Of them. further in
the Highlands, believe, range higher than
the Alleghanies.
Ii was quite well into the night, too,
when We we're well housed and fed in
the lodge. There was plenty OF good
Scotch whisky TO revive rs after the
Journey and warm up the cookies of
the heart for good association. The expe-
rience was a delightful one. The little
lodge was 30 queer and coy. and the
old game-keeper such a character, that
I listened 10 his stories of the
breeding season with great interest, al
though could not understand half what
be said. He WsS down-hearted about the
weather. but gave the owner. my host, the
assurance that there were plenty OF birds,
and that the moor was plenty bog enough
for three guns.
The gane-keeper Was q typical Scotch
man and talked the dialect so well that |
needed an interpreter. Soon after we got
settled for the night we heard the Old
man whose heart and mind were all an
tieipation for the morroy's sport, talking
TO himself In this strain:
If the fog don't settle over the hills
they can get out early in the morning, bat
don't like the looks tonight. aud We
have had 50 much rain this season that
there Is IA telling what IS t. come.
The rain vas falling then on the roof OF
this curious old Highland home, and the