28 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



A short walk from this spot took us to a new 

 portion of the forest, on more elevated ground, 

 where, instead of the lofty primaeval pines that 

 clothe the base of the hills, we found ourselves 

 among Scotch firs of lesser stature ; their trunks 

 naked for some distance from the ground, above 

 which their horizontal branches grew thickly in 

 all directions. We were now walking along 

 silently, in single file, when the keeper who was 

 conducting us suddenly stopped, and pointing to a 

 tree at a little distance, directed the shooter who 

 was nearest to him to take up his position among 

 its branches. An ordinary passer by would have 

 seen nothing to attract his attention, but a more 

 careful examination revealed a mass of boughs, 

 like a huge bird's nest, about twelve or fourteen 

 feet overhead, with a rude and frail ladder of fir- 

 sticks fastened to the trunk, leading up to it 

 almost perpendicularly, and suggesting altogether 

 the idea of a so-called gorilla's dormitory, but 

 seeming to evince less architectural talent in its 

 construction than that quadrumanc would have 

 exhibited. These hiding-places were arranged in 

 trees about a hundred yards apart from each other, 

 and in due time I found myself concealed in the 

 particular one allotted to me. Then I could per- 

 ceive that the apparent rudeness of the details was 



