IN THE HIGHLANDS 175 



a small bit of water and reeds behind Badacliro up got 

 five mallard in front of us ; his first barrel brought down 

 two, and after a long wait for the second shot, away it 

 went, and brought down the other three. The cool old 

 hand did not pull trigger till the ducks crossed each 

 other's flight, as ducks often do. A hasty gunner 

 would have fired at once and bagged probably only one. 

 Those were the days of flint-locks. What trouble I 

 have had on a wet day trying to keep the powder in the 

 outside pan dry, or hammering a blunt flint or enquiring 

 for a new one ! When I fired I really had to keep the 

 gun for a time pointed at the mark till the explosion 

 took place, whereas now the whole is of! like greased 

 lightning. My father always carried his gun on his 

 left arm behind his back, and when a bird or a hare got 

 up unexpectedly before him he took things so coolly 

 that I have seen him use up a pinch of snuff he had 

 between his right thumb and forefinger ere * Manton ' 

 went up to his shoulder and he touched its trigger ; but 

 ' Joe ' could not scatter his shot, and if the gun were 

 held straight no bird or beast was safe in front of my 

 father at eighty yards' distance. 



" Our dinner hour at Tigh Dige was 5 p.m. Beyond 

 washing face and hands, there was no dressing for dinner, 

 as there was always some evening ploy unless it was very 

 wet; indeed, people soon became careless about rain 

 in the warm west, and semi-amphibious. At 9 p.m. 

 a tray with curiously contrived dishes was brought in, 

 four forming the outer ring on the tray and one on a 

 raised stand in the centre. Potatoes and minced 

 coUops, rumbled eggs, some cutlets and patisserie, etc., 



