And, as it happened, the subject was opened with the dominie in a very favorable manner.

They were returning from the moors one day and met a party of six men.

They were evidently greatly depressed, but they lifted their bonnets readily to the chief.
There was a hopeless, unhappy look about them that was very painful.
"You have been unsuccessful on the hills, Archie, I fear." "There's few red deer left," said the man gloomily.

"It used to be deer and men; it is sheep and dogs now." After a painful silence the dominie said, "Something ought to be done for those braw fellows.

They canna ditch and delve like an Irish peasant.