100 WITH NATURE AND A CAMEBA. 



I^urposes of observation, and if possible the securing* 

 of some predatory birds of which the natives were 

 desirous I sliould rid tlicm. 



I dragged the fish forth, and extracting its 

 digestive organs phiced them on the top of another 

 cleit, within gunsliot of the one in which I was 

 about to locate myself. This done, I retired and 

 walled up the doorway to within an inch or two 

 of the top ; and carefully spreading a few hand- 

 fuls of old hay on the stones to prevent the gun- 

 barrels from making a noise or getting scratched^ 

 loaded, rolled myself up in my wraps, and Ijegan 

 an enthusiastically expectant wait. It was never 

 really too dark to read bold print, but the birds did 

 not begin to stir until about three o'clock, when a 

 Wheatear saluted the coming day with his familiar 

 note. The Kittiwakes down in the bay next began 

 to stretch themselves and say good morning to each 

 other. When day had fairly dawned I heard the 

 hoarse croak of a Raven, and raising myself on 

 one knee cocked my gun and waited in that glorious 

 state of excitement peculiar to men who have tarried 

 long and patiently for a first shot at some cunning- 

 bird or beast, against whose highly- developed in- 

 stincts of self-preservation they have pitted tlieir 

 wits and skill. But the music of that particular 

 Raven became fainter and fainter as he swung 

 round the shoulder of Conagher, and my teetli 

 chattered louder and louder as I knelt and sliivered 

 in the icy-cold wind that swept through the open 

 walls of the structure within which I had concealed 

 myself. 



Creeping cautiouslv to tlie opposite end of tlie 

 cleit I saw through a hole, which commanded a- 

 good view of tlie village, a Great l^hick-ljackcd 

 Gull standing sedately on a house-top, wliilst a 



