wid avoid it. Wance he pegged in the snare, he wid leave a three or four inch gap in the noose. Wance Bugs Bunny hopped or ran through, it wis deid in under a minute.
“And why would a young fellow like you want to be running about the place like a demented hare first thing in the morning then?” Innes hid asked him, puzzled.
“Ah don’t know. Tae keep fit, Ah suppose,” he’d replied.
“Well, I think it’s doing you good, Paul. I haven’t heard you having a bad dream for a few nights now,” Whitey hid come oot wae.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. It kept me awake for the first few weeks because I was always waiting for one. I thought you had died in your sleep one night because your room was so quiet. If running about the hills and woods in the morning is doing the trick, keep it up.”
“It seems a waste of energy and time to me,” Innes hid murmured.
“Right, well, while Ah’m at it, Ah’ll see if Ah kin blag a rabbit or two tae make it worth ma while,” he’d said, and efter that, he’d started laying doon a few snares alang the way. If he never caught anything oan the way back he’d nip oot in the early evening tae recover his snares.
It wis a beautiful morning, the day that he clocked her. He’d left the croft and heided alang the road by the auld schoolhoose and then intae the trees oan the right, heiding up tae the tap end before turning east, avoiding Strathkyle Hoose, till he goat tae the edge ae Rhelonie Wood and then oot intae the open. It wis here, oot in the open, that he managed tae pick up his pace and shoot towards Balblair Wood, keeping the ridge ae Cnoc a’ Bhaid-daraich and Cnoc na Lapaich oan his right. He felt exposed oot in the open, so he wis always glad when he shot through the canopies and wis wance mair engulfed in the semi-darkness ae the trees. Wance he entered Balblair Wood, he kept gaun straight fur a couple ae hundred yards, before steering right, avoiding the low hung branches, past Creag a’ Choineachan oan his left, towards the Culrain Burn, where he usually stoapped fur a drink ae fresh water and tae catch his breath. It wis oan this part ae his run that he came across aw the proper woodland paths ae the estate and it wis here that he hid tae watch oot fur The Duke’s keepers.
“Whatever you do, Paul, stay out of Balblair Wood. You’re practically in the castle grounds there. If Sellar or his laddies see you, they’ll set those Irish hounds loose on you,” Innes hid warned him.
“Don’t worry, Innes. It’ll take mair than a couple ae scabby Paddy dugs tae get a haud ae ma arse,” he’d bragged.
Fae the Burn, using the paths, he heided north in the direction ae where he knew the road wis and the Kyle ae Sutherland beyond that. It wis also at this part ae his run that he wid catch a glimpse ae the castle tower oan his right before turning wae Creag a’ Choineachan oan his left. He’d jist veered left that morning when the dugs gied themsels away wae their howls ae rage at somewan hivving the cheek tae be running through their patch. He only saw two ae them being unleashed by the handler who he assumed wis wan ae the Sellar boys. Rather than try tae ootrun them, he nipped under a big bush roond the first bend he came tae, whose flowers wur starting tae wither. Whitey hid telt him later that it wis probably a Rhododendron bush. Back in Glesga, when the polis wid send in the dugs, the best way tae avoid capture hid been tae hide, keeping quiet and still. Twenty seconds efter Paul settled under the bush, the two big grey beasts came bounding by, howling the place doon, followed a few minutes later by wan ae the ugliest basturts he’d ever clapped eyes oan.
“Go on boys! Get the bastard!” Ugly Pug shouted oan the way past.
He sat tight fur o’er an hour. Sometimes he heard the dugs coming close and then they’d fade away intae the distance. At wan point, he
“And why would a young fellow like you want to be running about the place like a demented hare first thing in the morning then?” Innes hid asked him, puzzled.
“Ah don’t know. Tae keep fit, Ah suppose,” he’d replied.
“Well, I think it’s doing you good, Paul. I haven’t heard you having a bad dream for a few nights now,” Whitey hid come oot wae.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. It kept me awake for the first few weeks because I was always waiting for one. I thought you had died in your sleep one night because your room was so quiet. If running about the hills and woods in the morning is doing the trick, keep it up.”
“It seems a waste of energy and time to me,” Innes hid murmured.
“Right, well, while Ah’m at it, Ah’ll see if Ah kin blag a rabbit or two tae make it worth ma while,” he’d said, and efter that, he’d started laying doon a few snares alang the way. If he never caught anything oan the way back he’d nip oot in the early evening tae recover his snares.
It wis a beautiful morning, the day that he clocked her. He’d left the croft and heided alang the road by the auld schoolhoose and then intae the trees oan the right, heiding up tae the tap end before turning east, avoiding Strathkyle Hoose, till he goat tae the edge ae Rhelonie Wood and then oot intae the open. It wis here, oot in the open, that he managed tae pick up his pace and shoot towards Balblair Wood, keeping the ridge ae Cnoc a’ Bhaid-daraich and Cnoc na Lapaich oan his right. He felt exposed oot in the open, so he wis always glad when he shot through the canopies and wis wance mair engulfed in the semi-darkness ae the trees. Wance he entered Balblair Wood, he kept gaun straight fur a couple ae hundred yards, before steering right, avoiding the low hung branches, past Creag a’ Choineachan oan his left, towards the Culrain Burn, where he usually stoapped fur a drink ae fresh water and tae catch his breath. It wis oan this part ae his run that he came across aw the proper woodland paths ae the estate and it wis here that he hid tae watch oot fur The Duke’s keepers.
“Whatever you do, Paul, stay out of Balblair Wood. You’re practically in the castle grounds there. If Sellar or his laddies see you, they’ll set those Irish hounds loose on you,” Innes hid warned him.
“Don’t worry, Innes. It’ll take mair than a couple ae scabby Paddy dugs tae get a haud ae ma arse,” he’d bragged.
Fae the Burn, using the paths, he heided north in the direction ae where he knew the road wis and the Kyle ae Sutherland beyond that. It wis also at this part ae his run that he wid catch a glimpse ae the castle tower oan his right before turning wae Creag a’ Choineachan oan his left. He’d jist veered left that morning when the dugs gied themsels away wae their howls ae rage at somewan hivving the cheek tae be running through their patch. He only saw two ae them being unleashed by the handler who he assumed wis wan ae the Sellar boys. Rather than try tae ootrun them, he nipped under a big bush roond the first bend he came tae, whose flowers wur starting tae wither. Whitey hid telt him later that it wis probably a Rhododendron bush. Back in Glesga, when the polis wid send in the dugs, the best way tae avoid capture hid been tae hide, keeping quiet and still. Twenty seconds efter Paul settled under the bush, the two big grey beasts came bounding by, howling the place doon, followed a few minutes later by wan ae the ugliest basturts he’d ever clapped eyes oan.
“Go on boys! Get the bastard!” Ugly Pug shouted oan the way past.
He sat tight fur o’er an hour. Sometimes he heard the dugs coming close and then they’d fade away intae the distance. At wan point, he
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