WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



licked the dish clean, it was put away into the meal-chest, 

 the key of which was then concealed in a hole of the turf 

 wall. I divided most of my cigars with the men to smoke 

 in theirpipes.and handed round my whisky-flask.reserving 

 a small modicum for my own use during the day. 



From this place to its source the river is very narrow, 

 and confined between steepand rockyhills that comedown 

 to the edge of the water; varied here and there by less ab- 

 rupt ascents, covered with spreading juniper-bushes and 

 green herbage. On one of these bright spots we saw a hind 

 and her calf, the former standing to watch us as we passed 

 up the opposite side of the river, while her young one was 

 playing about her like a lamb. They did not seem to care 

 muchfor our coming there; andhaving watched usfor some 

 time, and seeing that we had no evil intention towards 

 them, the hind recommenced feeding, only occasionally 

 stopping to see that we did not turn. The ring-ouzel, that 

 near cousin of the blackbird, frequently flitted across the 

 glen, and, perching on a juniper-bush, saluted us with its 

 wild and sweet song. 



The morning was bright, and the river sparkled and 

 danced over its stony bed; while every little pool was dim- 

 pled by the rising of the trout, who jumped without dread 

 of hook and line at the small black gnats that were playino- 

 about the surface of the water. A solitary heron was stand- 

 ing on a stone in the middle of the stream, seemingly quite 

 regardless of us. But while I was looking at his shadowy 

 figure, which was perfectly reflected in the water beneath 

 him, the bird suddenly flew off with a cry of alarm, occa- 

 sioned by the appearance of a peregrine falcon, who passed 



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