WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



ground. He never snares or wires game, but depends on 

 his dog and gun. Hardy and active as the deer of the 

 mountain, in company with two or three comrades of the 

 same stamp as himself, he sleeps in the heather wrapped 

 in his plaid, regardless of frost or snow, and commences 

 his work at daybreak. When a party of them sleep out on 

 the hill side, their manner of arranging their couch is as fol- 

 lows: — If snow ison the ground, theyfirstscrapeitoffasmall 

 space; they then all collect a quantity of the driest heather 

 they can find. The next step is for all the party excepting 

 one to lie down close to each other, with room between one 

 couple for the remaining man to get into the rank when his 

 duty is done; which is, to lay all the plaids on the top of 

 his companions,andon the plaids a quantity of longheather; 

 when he has sufficiently thatched them in, he creeps into 

 the vacant place, and they are made up for the night. The 

 coldest frost has no effect on them, when bivouacking in 

 this manner. Their guns are laid dry between them, and 

 their dogs share their master's couch. 



With the earliest grouse-crow they rise and commence 

 operations. Their breakfast consists of meal and water. 

 They generally take a small bag of meal with them; but it 

 is seldom that there is not some good-natured shepherd 

 living near their day's beat, who, notwithstanding that he 

 receives pay for keeping off or informing against all poach- 

 ers, is ready to give them milk and anything else his bothy 

 affords. If the shepherd has a peculiarly tender conscience, 

 he vacates the hut himself on seeing them approach, leav- 

 ing his wife to provide for the guests. He then, if accused 

 of harbouring and assisting poachers, can say in excuse, 



68 



