Tales of Dunlichity - The Stories of Willie MacQueen Copyright © 1997, William MacQueen, Charles F. Larimer To see pictures of Willie MacQueen visit my web site at http://pages.prodigy.net/clarimer/ Willie's First Wages - The Beating Now, perhaps you would like to know how I earned my first wages. There were a lot of grouse in Scotland in those days, and there were a lot of game keepers and the Highland Lairds and all that. At the age of 10, I was sent out to the beating. Now, I don't suppose you know what the beating is. But, the wealthy people, they had the shooting of the grouse and they would be in the butts. And, they used to collect all the boys and unemployed folks who used to drive the grouse in a semicircle right onto the butts where the men with the guns hid - maybe a mile or a half a mile, whatever the drive would be more or less. So, it was quite a great time. I was getting six shillings a day. That was in 1923 when I was 10. But of course, when it came on to 1930, when I was 17, the time of the Great Depression, my wage wasn't reduced because I was at such an age. But, those that started then, according to your age - you started at three shillings and sixpence and from there it moved up. ========= A question for listers - my mother said she remembered a movied called "The Beating," starring Gregory Peck, which was about a beating as described by Willie. Does anyone know anything about that movie, or if it did star Gregory Peck? Charlie Fraser Larimer clarimer@prodigy.net