WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



knee got hurt in this scuffle too, indeed one of his ribs was 

 brol<en, so I helped to lift him up, and put him on the bed. 

 The others threatened me a great deal, but did na like the 

 looks of the bit constable's staff I had in my hand. At last, 

 when they found that they could do nothing, they begged 

 me, in the Lord's name, to leave the shealing and gang my 

 way in peace. But I did na like this, as it was six hours at 

 least to the next bothy where I could get a good rest, so I 

 just told them to go themselves — and as they did na seem 

 in a hurry to do so, I went at them with my staff, but theydid 

 na bide my coming, and were all tumbling out of the door 

 in a heap, before 1 was near them: I could na help laugh- 

 ing to see them. It was coming on a wild night, and the 

 poor fellow in the bed seemed vera bad, so I called to them 

 and told them they might just come back and sleep in the 

 shealing if they would leave me in peace — and after a little 

 talk they all came in, and I laid down in my plaid at one 

 end of the bothy, leaving them the other. I made the lad 

 who was with me watch part of the night to see they didn't 

 get at me when I was asleep, though I didn't want him to 

 join in helping me, as they knew his name, and it might 

 have got him into trouble. In the morning I made my 

 breakfast with some meal I had with me, and gave them 

 the lave of it. They would have been right pleased to have 

 got me with them, — but as they could na do it, like wise 

 chiels, they didn't try, — so I wished them a good day, and 

 took the road. I had my gun and four brace of grouse, 

 v/hich they looked at very hard indeed, but I did not let 

 them lay hands on any thing. When I had just got a few 

 hundred yards away, I missed my shot belt, so I went 



66 



