88 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VI. 



bird in the middle of it. Our troubles were in- 

 stantly forgotten, and although rather fagged before, 

 we made our way over the rocks with new-found 

 vigour. The unwillingness of the old bird to 

 leave the nest showed that she had young ones. 

 While Dunbar prepared to take the water I went 

 round to watch for a shot at the old bird. I pre- 

 sently saw nothing but my fellow-traveller's head, 

 as he swam gallantly out to the rock: the old 

 osprey flew in wide circles round and round, at a 

 considerable height, screaming loudly at the un- 

 expected intrusion on her domain ; sometimes she 

 swooped half-way down to the water, but still 

 cautiously keeping at a safe distance. Before 

 many minutes had elapsed we saw the male bird 

 sailing high in the air, straight to the loch ; on 

 hearing the cries of his mate he seemed to quicken 

 his flight, and soon joined her, carrying a trout in 

 his talons. The two birds then sailed round and 

 round the water with loud cries. When they saw 

 Dunbar perched on their hitherto unassailed rock, 

 and looking like a statue on a pedestal, their ex- 

 citement became greater and greater; the male 

 dropped his trout, and they both dashed wildly to 

 and fro, sometimes at a great height, and sometimes 

 taking a rapid circuit of the lake, within half a gun- 

 shot of the water. The next thing I saw was my 



