WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



little distance slowly along the face of the precipice, they 

 came to a small green shelf, apparently only a few yards 

 square, the object of all their risk and labour. As fast as 

 they got on this they dispersed, and commenced feeding 

 quickly about it. We did not wait to see them return, as we 

 had a long day's journey before us. Behind the house the 

 hill seemed alive with grouse, crowing in the morning sun. 

 My hound came out baying joyously to see me, and we 

 started on our day's journey. Our road took us through 

 birchwoods, fragrant from the yesterday's rain, and in 

 which the birds sang right merrily. As we descended the 

 river we passed the plantationsatDalmigarie and consider- 

 able tracts of corn-ground — the corn in this high country 

 being still perfectly green. Here and there was a small 

 farm-house on a green mound, with a peat-stack larger 

 than the house itself. As we passed these, a bare-headed 

 and bare-legged urchin would look at us round a corner of 

 the building, and then running in, would bring out the rest 

 of the household to stare at us. If we entered one of the 

 houses, we were always greeted with hospitable smiles, 

 and the good wife, wiping a chair with her apron, would 

 produce a bowl of excellent milk (such milk as you only 

 can get in the Highlands) and a plate of cheese and oat- 

 cake, the latter apparently consisting of chopped straw, 

 and seasoned with gravel, though made palatable by the 

 kind welcome with which it was given. Frequently, too, 

 a bottle of whisky would be produced, and a glass of it 

 urged on us, or we were pressed to stop to take an egg or 

 somethino' warm. At Freeburn we parted — my friend to 

 po bv coach to Inverness, and I to keep my course down 

 ^ 298 



