144 HIGHLAND SPORT 



the West Highlands than at the Gun Club grounds in West 

 London. 



In those days there was no railroad either to Oban or 

 Stroma Ferry, so making my way by the night express to 

 Greenock, the remainder of the journey was done by steamer, 

 and the following evening found me safely at my destination. 



Marathon Cottage was a comfortable, stone-built building, 

 situated about a hundred feet above the sea, and about a 

 hundred yards from the shore. It had been built for himself 

 by the happy possessor of the Murdoch estate, for the big 

 house on the property, which was placed in a hole near a 

 swamp, was rarely occupied by the owner, and more often than 

 not was let with most of the shooting to a gentleman from 

 Manchester. 



Murdoch Campbell was a fine specimen of a black High- 

 lander — standing six foot in his stockings, he was still in his 

 thirties, was forty-four inches round the chest, and possessed 

 arms and legs of prodigious strength. Moreover he was as 

 lean as a deerhound and nearly as active ; crisp, curling, jet- 

 black hair entirely covered his head, while from under a white 

 forehead and thick, black eyebrows shone a pair of the brightest 

 dark-grey eyes. The rest of his face was tanned and weather- 

 beaten, while his high cheekbones were cherry red. A large 

 black moustache with a beard trimmed to a point, all combined 

 to make him a remarkable and striking-looking personage. 



Born of an ancient race of chieftains who, as long as there 

 was fighting to be done, had ever been in the thick of it, though 

 not always on the winning side, the more recent of these 

 warriors had in 1715 and in "forty-five" so impoverished the 

 estate that at the time of this story Murdoch had been re- 

 luctantly compelled to let the greater part of his shootings. 

 Adored by his people, no kinder-hearted man breathed than 

 my friend, and, devoted to sport of all kinds, he was ever a 

 most cheery, pleasant companion. 



His cottage he had christened Marathon, because he had 



