CH. V. BEN CLEEBRICK. 65 



noon instead of midnight ; occasionally, too, both 

 widgeon and teal were heard to whistle each after 

 its own peculiar fashion ; and the quack of the 

 common mallard was also constant. Now and 

 then a note expressive of alarm was uttered by 

 some bird, and immediately a dead silence was 

 kept by the whole community for a few moments ; 

 but this was soon succeeded by a greater noise 

 than ever, particularly amongst the peewits, which 

 seemed by their cries to be darting about the head 

 of some intruder or enemy. Probably on these 

 occasions a fox, wild-cat, or owl had made his 

 appearance amongst them in search of tender food 

 for his own young ravening brood. 



Though I had to rise very early, I betook my- 

 self to bed with great regret, and left the window 

 open in order to hear the serenade of the sedge 

 warbler to the last moment of being awake. 



Ben Cleebrick, the highest hill (or nearly so) in 



Sutherland, is immediately in front of the inn; and 



the forester, after looking at me from head to foot, 



pronounced his dictum that he thought I should 



get to the top in two hours or so ; at any rate, 



that he could do it in that time. Notwithstanding 



the threatening look of the mist on its summit, I 



started, hoping to see some ptarmigan nests amongst 



the loose stones near the top. Dunbar warned 

 vol. I. F 



