CHAPTER THIRTEEN WEASELS 



were immediately in full pursuit, the nimble little fellow 

 escaped them all, jumping over one dog, under another, 

 through the legs of a third, and finally getting off into a 

 rocky cairn, whence he could not be ejected. "It's the evil 

 speerit hersell," said the old man, as, aiming a blow at the 

 marten, he nearly broke the back of one of his best lurch- 

 ers. Nor did he get over his annoyance at seeing his dogs 

 so completely baffled, till after many a Gaelic curse at the 

 beast and many a pinch of snuff. The marten-cat is accused 

 by the shepherds of destroying a great many sheep. His 

 manner of attack is said to be by seizing the unfortunate 

 sheep by the nose, which he eats away, till the animal is 

 either destroyed on the spot or dies a lingering death. I 

 have been repeatedly told this by different Highland shep- 

 herds and others, and believe it to be a true accusation. 

 They kill numbers of lambs, and when they take to poul- 

 try-killing, enter the henhouse fearlessly, committing im- 

 mense havoc; in fact seldom leaving" a single fowl alive — 

 having the same propensity as the ferret for killing many 

 more victims than he can consume. 



The eagle is said to prey frequently on the marten-cat, 

 but I never happened to witness an encounter between 

 them; my tame eagle, however, always seemed to prefer 

 them to any other food. I have no doubt that the eagle on 

 its native mountain pounces on any living creature that it 

 canconquer,and therefore must frequently kill both marten 

 and wild cat, both which animals frequent the rocks and 

 high ground where this bird hunts. 



From the strength and suppleness of the marten, he 

 cannot fall a very easy prey to any eagle of this country, 

 171 



