WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



As the rain approached, the ring-ouzel sang more loudly, 

 as if to take leave of the sunshine; and the grouse flew to 

 the dry and bare heights, where they crowed incessantly. 



The rain gradually came on, accompanied by a cold cut- 

 ting wind. I never saw such rain in my life; it was a perfect 

 deluge; and in five minutes I was as wet as if I had been 

 swimming through the river. We saw the burns we had to 

 cross in our way home tumbling in foaming torrents down 

 the hill-sides. In the morning we had stepped across them 

 withoutwettingour feet. The first one that we came to I 

 looked at with wonder. Instead of a mere thread of crystal 

 water, creeping rather than flowing through the stones 

 which filled its bed, we had to wade through a roaring tor- 

 rent, which was carrying in its course pieces of turf, heath- 

 er, and even large stones. We crossed with some difficulty, 

 holding by each other's collars. Two or three burns we pass- 

 ed in this manner, the rain still continuing, and if possible 

 increasing. I looked round at my companion, and was only 

 prevented from laughing at his limp and rueful counten- 

 ance by thinking that he probably had just as much cause 

 for merriment in my appearance. The poor hound was per- 

 fectly miserable, as she followed me with the rain running 

 in streams down her long ears. 



After some time we came opposite the shealing where 

 we had been with the shepherds in the morning. And here 

 my companion said that he must leave me, having partic- 

 ular business with the other men, who had come on pur- 

 pose to meet him there. He warned me to be very careful 

 in crossing the burns, as, if I once lost my footing in any of 

 them, I should probably never get up again. 



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