WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



of whichwasabeachof whitepebbles.and beyond, a stretch 

 of the greenest pasture, dotted with dropping white-stem- 

 med birches. This little level was hemmed in on all sides 

 by mountains, ridge above ridge, the lowest closely covered 

 with purple heath, the next more green and broken by rav- 

 ines, and the highest ending in sharp serrated peaks tipped 

 with snow. Nothing moved within range of my vision, and 

 nothing was to be seen thatbespoke life but a solitaryheron 

 standing on one leg in the shallow water at the upper end 

 of the lake. From hence I took in a good range, but could 

 see no deer. While I lay above the lake, the day suddenly 

 changed, and heavy wreaths of mist came down the moun- 

 tain-sides in rapid succession. They reached me soon, and 

 I wasenclosed in an atmosphere through which I could not 

 see twenty yards. It was very cold too, and I was obliged 

 to move, though scarcely well knowing whither. I followed 

 the course of the lake, and afterwards of the stream which 

 flowed from it, for sometime. Now and then a grouse would 

 rise close to me, and, flying a few yards, light again on a 

 hillock, crowing and croaking at the intruder. The heron, 

 in the darkness, came flapping his great wings close past 

 me; I almost fancied I could feel the movement they caused 

 in the air. Nothing could be done in such weather, and I 

 was notsure that I might not be going away from myobject. 

 It was getting late too, and I made up my mind that my 

 most prudent plan was to arrange a bivouac before it be- 

 came quite dark. My wallet was empty,except a few crumbs, 

 the remains of my morning's baking. It was necessary to 

 provide food: and just as the necessity occurred to me, I 

 heard, through the mist, the call of a cock grouse as he 



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