IN THE SHETLANDS 159 
numerous escapes, the face of the rock stood them in 
good stead, and they deliberately made use of it, in my 
opinion, for, dashing in and out, they would cling to or 
double against it in places where the eagles, as larger 
birds, could not follow them so deftly, and had per- 
force to check their speed. The principle was the 
same as that by which a hare would be enabled to run 
at top speed almost right up to a wall, whereas a man, 
pursuing on horseback, would be forced to pull up at 
a greater distance from it. The discrepancy, however, 
being here not so great, and the weaker party having 
often, in spite of the adage, to go from the wall, the 
interest and excitement—to say nothing of its loftier 
character—was in proportion. All this is vaguely, 
though vividly, in my recollection, but I can give no 
details ; it was years ago, and I carried no notebook 
then. The sound, I find, is what has remained most 
strongly impressed on my mind; those wonderful 
grand rushing sweeps of the great pinions—the spirit 
of all storms seemed to live in each one of them. 
