WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



old fellows of thisdescription, who make up bycunningand 

 knowledge of the ground for want of strength andactivity. 

 I made aquaintance with an old soldier, who after some 

 years' service had returned to his native mountains, and to 

 his former habitsofpoachingandwanderingabout in search 

 of deer. He lived in the midst of plenty of them too, in a 

 far off and very lonely part of Scotland, where the keepers 

 of the property seldom came. When they did so, I believe 

 they frequently took the old man out with them to assist in 

 killing a stag for their master. At other times he wandered 

 through the mountains with a single-barrelled gun, killing 

 what deer he wantedforhis ownuse.but never selling them. 

 I never in my life saw a better shot with a ball: I have seen 

 him constantly kill grouse and plovers on the ground. His 

 occupation, I fear, is at last gone, owing to changes in the 

 ownership and the letting of the shooting, for the last time 

 I heard of himhe was leading an honest life as cattle-keeper. 

 When this man killed a deer far from home, he used to go 

 to the nearest shepherd's shealing, catch the horse, which 

 was sure to be found feeding near at hand, and make use 

 of it to carry home the deer. This done, he turned the 

 horse's head home, and let it loose, and as all Highland 

 ponies have the bump of locality strongly developed, it was 

 sure to find its way home. I have known one of these old 

 poachers coolly ride his pony up the mountain from which 

 he intended to take a deer, turn it loose, and proceed on 

 his excursion. The pony, as cunning and accustomed to 

 the work as his master, would graze quietly near the spot 

 where he was left, till his services were required to take 

 home the booty at night. The old man never went to the 



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