EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 129 



mean a prize Bedlington, or some of the rare 

 specimens of eccentricity exhibited at shows), 

 and look sagaciously at his friend, who would 

 return his observation by dropping one or both 

 of his, already cocked; and then both would 

 start as straight as a crow flies, without a note, 

 for a small loch, distant, perhaps, a mile. In 

 a moment Grouse twigged the game up, and 

 made in a straight line for the said loch, 

 barking for his life in an ecstasy of delight. 

 Away went Dick and I, as fast as we could 

 carry our little bodies (for we were neither of 

 us giants) to the loch too. Arrived there, we 

 found our little friends, each at the mouth of a 

 sort of a small cavern with two exits, one on 

 land and another into the loch, stationary, like 

 two grim little sentinels, and Grouse, half mad, 

 circling round them. As soon as we have got 

 our breath to articulate and strength to enlarge 

 a little the land entrance, with a cheering 

 " have at him ; " in goes the land side terrier. 

 A rush and a bustle, and a yelp for the first 

 time are heard, a strange noise, and then, like 

 lightning, the other sentinel at the water mouth 

 is knocked over, and with that extraordinary, 

 springing, demoniac bound he alone can give, 

 a large dog otter plunges into the loch and 

 disappears. Savagely spring Grouse and the 



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