HIGHLAND VAMPIRE. 195 



his face fronted to the interior of the cottage. Whilst in 

 this position, he began to scream with all his might, roaring 

 out that some fiend had hold of his leg, and was tearing it 

 and sucking his blood. At length, by a violent struggle, he 

 extricated himself, and gained the ground, still in great 

 fright and pain. In searching round he could see neither 

 man nor beast, nor any living thing. But he very gravely 

 asserted that he saw some white objects and some faint blue 

 lights at a distance, which continually shifted their situa- 

 tions, and at length vanished entirely. 



Having procured water, he did not venture to return 

 through the window ; but the door was broken open by the 

 united efforts of himself and his companion. They spent the 

 night in a state of superstitious alarm, nor could they on 

 the following morn discover the track of man or beast about 

 the place ; their own footsteps alone were visible. The 

 injury remained for a considerable period; the man, indeed, 

 bore the marks of it all his life, as many people now living 

 at Blair can testify. This occurrence, remaining unac- 

 counted for, had such an effect, that no poacher took up 

 his quarters at Felaar Cottage in after times. 



Men of this description usually set forth at night when 

 the keepers have retired, that they may be on the desired 

 ground betimes in the morning ; thus they gain some hours 

 upon them. If the wind serves, their first manoeuvre is to 

 get the deer out of the forest, which is very easily done ; 

 and when they have them there, they keep them as long 

 as they can ; but unless they go clear away to another forest 

 they generally return by a circuit with a side wind ;at night. 

 The only method to defeat these lawless proceedings, is to 

 throw up peat bothies near the outskirts of the forest at 

 proper intervals, and place keepers in them. Such men 

 must be constant in their residence, or the poachers will 

 exchange places with them. 



I will now relate a story which shows that the keepers- 

 themselves had not in former times a very nice perception 

 of equity : 



In the month of July, 1783, the Duke of Atholl sum- 

 moned his three principal foresters, John Crerer, Moon, and 

 Peter Robertson, and promised a handsome reward to him 



