I A Gossip on a Sutherland Hill-side 2 1 9 



away by those wretched cheviots, who, indeed, do 

 clothe the naked and feed the hungry, but give no 

 sport, unless the double system of manoeuvring, which 

 has to be practised to keep clear of them and get 

 near the deer, may be considered in that light. Now 

 that the greater part of Sutherland is disforested 

 (though the map-makers persist in scrawling Dirrie- 

 more^ and Dirrie-chat- over the country to tantalise 

 us), there are but few peaks left clear where the 

 scattered remnants of the great deer herds can repose 

 in security. The deer, indeed, rather like the sheep 

 than not, as they save the hinds a great deal of look- 

 out duty, and a flock scampering about three or four 

 miles off is instantly seen and commentated on by 

 them. But the shepherds and the collies ! I must 

 give the shepherd the credit of trying to prevent 

 himself spoiling a sport which he loves in his heart 

 of hearts (and I suspect takes a turn at himself, 

 whiles), as much as he can, more particularly when 

 he is treated with consideration, and a tip ; but still 

 he cannot help the hinds sniffing him out a mile off 

 and retreating into the distance with their antlered 

 lords. Of course, three tourists per diem blundering 

 across the moss would put off every deer for miles, 

 and the grand sport of deer-stalking would soon 

 become a mere matter of tradition ; a consummation 

 which would not very much please even the non- 

 deer-stalking population of Sutherland. Independ- 

 ently of the number of men employed as gillies 



' The great deer-forest.' 2 « jhe deer-forest of the Clan Chattan.' 



