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

old man stood looking out of the window
as he thus soliloquized on the weather.
We were up with the lark in the morn
ing, full of spirit, but the storm was still
on and a regular Scotch mist, one OF those
impenetrable clouds OF cold vapor, had
settled over the hills and made an early
start impossible and put damper on ali
about. Later in the day it cleared, and
with two brace of dogs and two guns We
started for the beats, as the paths are
called which you follow in the search for
the birds. The dogs were fresh and anx-
ious and hunted briskly. | believe in hunt
er's parlance the expert would say that the
dogs were frank" Be that as ii may, the
one before me stood birds" before | could
shoot, and banged away after 1t was out
OF reach. 1.-The brown beauties" were wild
on account of the rain, but my friend was
a better shot than /, and he brought down
his first, and kept on doing well until he
had bagged twelve brace and killed two
hares. We only had about three hours
shooting, and | managed to knock over
solitary grouse and missed two rabbits
which were directly in my path. When |
returned TO the lodge for rest and drink
the old game-keeper quietly expressed 10
my friend his disgust for me as gunner,
for il there Is any one thing IN the world
that keeper detests it is a man who will
miss his second grouse. But this wing
shooting was too much for me, and as an
donable sin 10 kill bird except in the air,
was not in the game, and having press
ing business in London, quietly left the
moor the next day, leaving my host 10 en-
Joy what he regards as the greatest sport
known TO men. I can imagine that to a
good shot. who can pick his bird as it flies,
there is much of zest and life In the stand
of the dog and the whir of the grouse. But
TO me the lessons / learned were of far
more interest.
Nv visit to the Perthshire moors was not
made 10 ascertain my skill as wing shot,
but 10 learn some actual facts IN the breed
ing and care of game that must soon be-
come a serious question in the United
States, as il has long since been in this
mother country. | was richly repaid for
my trouble, because the life Is so strange,
the scenes among the Highlands so un-
usual, the spirit of the people so frank, and
their economy so systematic, that | got
fresh view of strange nationality. besides
gathering the story of shooting where it
is done and rubbed up against the person
atty of its every condition.
4 scotch moor is beautiful place. Its
lines are laid among the hills, which some
times rise to mountain height. There are
quaint little towns hid here and
there along the road TO q shooting
lodge, and always the vine-coy-
cred kirk in some quiet nook,
where the evidences of Scotch industry
are apparent in well-tilled patches, and
the general air of cleanliness and comeii-
ness which is ever present about the homes
of even the humblest people in these isles.
look over the miles OF crimson and
purple heather which make up moor Of
any pretensions Is study. The ground is
rugged and uneven, with here and there a
patch of timber TO add 10 the general lone
illness which surrounds ali desolate and
uueultivated land. From Ciuny Lodge tho
scene Of hill sweep, stream, uncerbrush.
fresh growth and tree settles away into q
rugged background which marks the
division between the deer lands and the
bird shooting. On the latter. the beauti-
ful heather and its flowers grow thiekls a
little more than foot from the ground,
giving both rich food and shelter 70 the
game which Is fosiered and fattened for
the spoTtsman's gun. These uncultivafed
acres are as carefully guarded as
the farm lands where the grain grows
For in this old land the game has long ago
been killed OF, and now has 10 be bred and
fed, hence the moors are watched to see
that the ignorant man does not set the
heather on are, and thus destroy the meet
ing places of the gunner's pride.
4 game-keeperas duties are 6y no means
easy. He has 10 attend 10 the entire moor
preserve II from the names. watch The
condition of the birds. look after their
nesting s. much rs possible and 10 feed
them occasionally during the severe
weather He must At al times know Inc
condition OF his moor and the outlook for