WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



very curious to watch these wild birds as they swam about, 

 quite unconscious of danger and looking Hke so many do- 

 mestic fowls. Now came the able generalship of my keeper, 

 who seeing that they were inclined to feed at the other end 

 of the loch, began to drive them towards me, at the same 

 time taking great care not to alarm them enough to make 

 them take flight. This he did by appearing at a long dist- 

 ance off, and moving about without approaching the birds, 

 but as if hewaspullinggrass orengagedin some otherpiece 

 of labour. When the birds first sawhim: they all collected in 

 a cluster, and giving a general low cry of alarm, appeared 

 ready to take flight: this was the ticklish moment, but soon 

 outwitted by his manoeuvres,they dispersed again and busi- 

 ed themselves infeeding. I observed that frequently all their 

 heads were under the water at once, excepting one — but 

 invariably one bird kept his head and neck perfectly erect, 

 and carefully watched on every side to prevent their being 

 taken by surprise; when he wanted to feed, he touched any 

 passer-by, who immediately relieved him in his guard, and 

 he in his turn calledon some other swan to take his place as 

 sentinel. 



After waiting some little time, and closely watching the 

 birds in all their graceful movements, sometimes having a 

 swan within half a shot of me, but never getting two or three 

 together, I thought of some of my assistant's instruction 

 which he had given me en route in the morning, and I imit- 

 ated, as well as I could, the bark of a dog: immediately all 

 the swanscollectedin a body.and lookedroundtosee where 

 the sound came from. I was not above forty yards from them, 

 so gently raising myself on my elbow, I pulled the trigger, 



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