DOG WATCHING THE DEAD DEER. 297 



thought to cower over him, uttering his shrill shrieks, and 

 to plunge his beak into the eyes, and pick them from their 

 sockets. But the foul bird shall be baulked of his prey. 

 The sagacious Corrie shall protect him ; Corrie, who will 

 never leave a dead deer without compulsion, but will coil 

 himself up by his side, and watch by him during the chill 

 blasts of a northern night, guarding him till the hill-man 

 comes in the morning to cord him on his sheltie ; then the 

 good dog will once more lick over his dun sides, shake his 

 tail, fawn upon the hill-man, and escort him home to the 

 slaughter-house. Corrie would do all this as well as the 

 rest of his litter ; nay, if he were slipped on the moor, 

 he would go back alone to the last deer that was killed, 

 although it were many miles distant, and protect it through 

 the night from the fox, the wild cat, the eagle, or the 

 raven.* 



All now good-humouredly tried to make out the hind 

 a yeld one ; but it would not do ; she evidently gave suck, 

 and was also singularly lean. 



" Never mind, Lightfoot ; she richly deserved her fate ; 

 for it was a wicked deed to place herself where she did. 

 So pray be comforted." 



" No, no, it will not do. The Badenoch fairy's speech 

 rings in my ears, saying, or seeming to say, ' O Lightfoot, 

 Lightfoot, thou hast this day slain the only maid in 

 Doune.'" 



" Never mind, these things occur to us all ; the hart 

 had a very narrow escape from your ball. You heard our 

 friend from the south brag the other day how nearly he 



* A beautiful painting, by Mr. Edwin Landseer, of this sagacious 

 dog, thus engaged, will be in the recollection of many. 



