THE DRIVE. 29 



intentional a few bark-covered sticks, nailed 

 together, formed the floor, the sides were equally 

 simple, and through these the living boughs were 

 roughly interwoven. 



Some time elapsed before all the gunners were 

 located in their respective trees, during which I 

 had ample leisure to study my position. I found 

 that it commanded a narrow vista, immediately in 

 front, intersected by a path or favourite run of the 

 roedeer. These tracks were well-known to the 

 keepers, and the trees containing our nests were 

 selected by them for the sake of any advantages of 

 this kind that they seemed to possess. To the right 

 and left the dense foliage shut out the view, but 

 immediately behind me the ground was compara- 

 tively open, and several firs, taller than the one 

 in which I was concealed, rose out of the heather, 

 the upper branches of one of the nearest, loaded 

 with cones, hanging almost over my head. 

 Through an interval between these loftier trees, I 

 perceived that I was on the ridge of a hill ; for 

 a little lower down, the summits of the pines 

 alone were visible ; and as the ground sloped away 

 in that direction, I could catch a glimpse of the 

 Spey, like a streak of bright silver, and still 

 further off, the blue mountains of the distant 

 Highlands. 



