WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



to the charge of the two shepherds, whilst we started with 

 our gunsfor a steepcorrie,where he expected we could com- 

 mand the passes. It was a good hour and a half of a jog- 

 trot, which seemed a familiar pace to my companion. We at 

 length turned off the great glen, and proceeded up a small, 

 rapid, rocky burn, tracing it to where it issued through a 

 narrow fissure in the rocks, down which the water ran like a 

 mill-race.Scrambling up to the head of the ravine, we found 

 ourselves in the corrie, a magnificent amphitheatre of pre- 

 cipitous grey rocks. The fox's favourite earth was known 

 to be far up on the cliff, and as only two passes could easily 

 lead to it, we endeavoured to command them both. My 

 station was high up, on a dizzy enough crag, which com- 

 manded one of the passes for a considerable way, and suf- 

 ficiently screened me from all the lower part of the corrie. 

 Having with some difficulty got to my place, and arranged 

 the best vista I could command whilst keeping myself un- 

 seen, I had a few minutes to admire the wild scene below 

 me. It was a narrow corrie, with a small clear stream twist- 

 ing and shinincj through an endless confusion of rueffed 

 grey rocks. 



I had not been placed many minutes when a deep bay 

 reached me through the clear morning air. I listened with 

 eagerness; and soon heard the whole pack in full cry, 

 though at a great distance, and apparently not coming 

 quite in our direction. While watching, however, the dif- 

 ferent entries to the corrie, I saw a fox come leisurely down 

 a steep slope of loose stones, towards where the fox-hunter 

 was concealed. Presently he stopped, and quietly sitting 

 down, appeared to listen for the dogs; and, not hearing 



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