EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 119 



exciting chase. The old birds stick most man- 

 fully to their young, who try to out-swim, 

 and out-flapper, and out- dive you. The old 

 birds don't let their young take to wing, if 

 even they can. They also don't dive much 

 themselves; or, if they do, only for a very 

 short time, and not deep, as they never go far 

 from their charge. Thus they frequently fall a 

 sacrifice to their parental care. Part of the 

 manoeuvring is to drive some of the young- 

 ones into the small islands that abound on the 

 loch, and then land in them and walk them 

 up ; but the real fun is when they take to land 

 somewhere near the fords, and cross the open 

 for another loch. To see a goose flapper along, 

 half- waddling, half-flying, squeaking for his life, 

 is really a very absurd sight. Not so ludicrous, 

 however, as his pursuer, a wild Hebridean, 

 with naked legs and scant clothing, rushing 

 after him with frantic gestures, and yelling out 

 every sort of Gaelic anathema. 



I never shall forget an old boatman, poor 

 Galium, and a gaunt, long-legged gillie of 

 mine, pursuing two in this manner, who fairly 

 beat them to a standstill. I never used a dog, 

 except some sensible animal, like Old Tom or 

 AVliack, as I think that to do so frightened the 

 birds more than anything. I once got thirty- 



