EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 151 



hand early, broke them, or saw them broken 

 to hand well myself, and had little trouble with 

 them afterwards with anything but sheep. 



Mutton — Highland — they had a decided pro- 

 pensity for, and I don't wonder at it, for a 

 black-faced sheep smeared has an awful scent. 

 A dog runs this scent breast high, when up 

 gets a wild nondescript, whistles like a maniac, 

 makes for the nearest loch, of which in the 

 Lews there are plenty, and into it he plunges 

 like a fool, and then there is grief. I wish the 

 breed was annihilated. Dogs that never notice 

 sheep on the mainland take to them in the 

 Lews. My famous old dog Grouse II., the 

 dog of my heart, I had to part with and send 

 away. One fine morn they brought in fifty- 

 four lambs, which they laid out before the door 

 at Soval, putting their murder to h.is account. 

 Fortunately, lambs were then not dear, and I 

 left it to the adjudication of three persons what 

 remuneration I should give the people. Ac- 

 cording to Scotch law, as my poor Grouse 

 had never been known to kill a sheep before, 

 I could not have been compelled to pay any- 

 thing ; but it would not have been either right 

 or politic to have availed myself of this ; and, 

 therefore, I had £15 to pay for my favourite's 

 misdemeanours. I have, however, every reason 



