THE SURPRISES OF THE HILL 29 



A wait of two hours for these various deer 

 to give a chance of approach, either by shift- 

 ing their ground and feeding out of sight, gave 

 the rifle an enchanted concert of her beloved 

 hill wind, filling her head with stores of wild 

 songs till she thought it wiser to give a prac- 

 tical turn to events by sampling the luncheon 

 bag. 



What a day it was, to lie there in the sun 

 listening and looking and spying who would 

 not rather go to the hill without a rifle than 

 without a good glass for all the secrets and 

 wonders, beauties and interests, it reveals ? 

 Great fleecy white clouds on a canopy of blue, 

 range upon range of the greatest hills in Scot- 

 land ending in far Ben Nevis, the portals of 

 Glencoe frowning close at hand, whilst away 

 to the east the Moor of Rannoch shimmered a 

 pale cerulean ; and nearer, though far below, 

 streaks of silver lochs gleamed here and there. 

 Above, the sheer battlements of the black 

 rocks, and close at hand several likely stags, 

 and deer of all sizes and sorts dotted about in 

 every direction. Dewar was beginning to 



