202 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



whom it was dangerous to anger or molest : they considered 

 that a person who could live in the gloomy holes under 

 Carn-Vaduc, must be in the service of the powers of dark- 

 ness, and that it was not safe or canny to interfere with 

 him. Even the foresters used to shun him, though he was 

 never known to offer personal violence. He lived so much 

 apart from the rest of mankind, and was so seldom seen, 

 that his dress and appearance became latterly a matter of 

 doubt, and the manner and time of his death was never 

 known. He either removed privately from the country, or 

 expired in one of the remote chambers of the cavern, which 

 no person was hardy enough to explore, 



A similar system of free living was adopted by a man 

 named John More, who lived in Durness about the same 

 time, and rented a small farm near the Dirrie-more. He 

 neither had, nor cared to have, permission to kill deer and 

 game ; but his whole time was devoted to poaching, and his 

 wild mode of life rendered him an uncouth but tolerated 

 plunderer of the forest. 



Donald Lord Reay happening to pass near John More's 

 residence one summer morning, determined to call and 

 endeavour to reclaim him from his lawless propensities. 

 He left his attendants at some distance, that he might 

 ensure confidence on the part of his rude host. He found 

 John at home, and told him that he called to get some 

 breakfast. John was evidently proud of this visit, and 

 pleased with the frank manner in which he was accosted, 

 having been usually threatened by those in authority with 

 imprisonment and the gallows. 



" Come in, Donald," said John, in Gaelic, " and sit on my 

 stool, and you will get to eat what cost me some trouble in 

 collecting." 



His lordship entered the hut, and was soon seated in a 

 dismal corner ; but John opened a wooden shutter that had 

 filled up a hole in the wall, through which day-light entered, 

 and revealed a tall black-looking box, which was the only 

 article in the house that could be used as a table. John bustled 

 about with great activity, and, to his lordship's surprise, 

 pulled out from the box two or three beautifully white dinner 

 napkins. One of them was placed on the top of the box as 



