98 DEER-STALKING. CH. XXVI. 



scattered birch thickets near the shealing; and here 

 and there a pack of grouse rose, alighting again 

 before they had flown a hundred yards, as if fully 

 understanding that grouse -shooting was not the 

 order of the day, and, strutting along with their 

 necks stretched up, seemed to care little for my 

 presence. The ring-ousel flitted from rock to rock, 

 uttering its wild and sweet note. Truly there is 

 great enjoyment gained by the early riser ; every- 

 thing in nature has a pleasant aspect, and seems 

 happy and thankful to see the light of another sun. 

 The great mountain to the west looked magni- 

 ficent as its gray corries and cliffs were lighted 

 up by the morning rays. A noble pile of rock and 

 heather is that mountain, and well named Ben Mhor, 

 or the Big Mountain not a triton amongst min- 

 nows, but a triton amongst tritons. The golden 

 eagle, to add grandeur to the scene, was sweeping 

 through the sky high above me, and apparently eye- 

 ing my canine companion with mingled curiosity 

 and appetite. Once or twice in his circles he came 

 so near that I was half inclined to send a rifle-ball 

 at him, but as often as I stopped my walk with this 

 intention, the noble bird wheeled off again, and 

 at last, remembering his breakfast hour was past, 

 flew off in a straight line at a great height towards 

 the loch to the north of us, where he probably 



