IN THE HIGHLANDS 109 



till all are served. When Kate's walk round the place 

 ends in the kitchen of the Tigh Dige seven or eight 

 chickens, merely needing " flamming," are lying on the 

 table for the housekeeper's orders. And don't I 

 remember her sometimes allowing me, as a reward for 

 being good, to flam the feather-plucked flesh, passing 

 the bird suddenly through the flames of some paper, 

 which burnt off all the small feathers or down ? 



" I don't believe Kate was ever aware of what she 

 was doing when stalking about with an apron full of 

 chickens. It never for a moment stopped her singing 

 or holloaing any advice or warning to A, B, or C, who 

 crossed her path or eye. Was there ever a more valued, 

 entirely trusted, loving family friend ? I doubt it. 

 Christie, her daughter, was hardly behind her. What 

 did Kate and Co. care for their own interest compared 

 with ours ? Not a straw ! These were the kind of 

 people that cheerfully * gaed up to be hangit ' just to 

 please the laird. 



" How ashamed Monsieur Soyer would have been had 

 he competed with Kate in a dish of venison collops for 

 breakfast at Tigh Dige ! Such collops were never made 

 before or since. And as for her kippers, who nowadays 

 could settle like her the exact quantities of salt, sugar, 

 and smoke each dried salmon and grilse required, to 

 suit the date of their consumption, whether immediate 

 or deferred, confidentially imparted to her by the dear 

 calculating mother ? Until salmon close time ended 

 the family was never disgraced through being out of 

 salmon or wonderful kipper, not to mention venison and 

 venison hams. 



