94 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VI. 



horns being on the topmost point of all. Whom they 

 could belong to it was difficult to say — they seemed 

 as wild as red-deer. Dogs who are accustomed to 

 roe seem invariably to hunt goats. Eeturning home- 

 wards, Fred began to snuff the air as if he smelt 

 something he was used to hunt. Expecting it to be 

 a wild-cat or some vermin, I answered his appealing 

 look by allowing him to go off in pursuit of what- 

 ever it might be. Off he went, scrambling over the 

 rocks in a state of furious eagerness. After a short 

 time, however, a small flock of goats rushed past me, 

 with Mr. Fred in hot pursuit on their scent. No- 

 thing would stop him, notwithstanding his usual 

 obedience, so I left him to his chase, and some 

 time afterwards he came up with us again, looking 

 heartily ashamed, and having run himself well out 

 of wind, the goats having probably got to some steep 

 rock of refuge where no dog could follow them. 



About ten o'clock, it being still quite light, we 

 found ourselves above the sea, with our inn appar- 

 ently some miles off, probably about three, and 

 three miles of such walking as, after our hard day's 

 work since three in the morning, we did not much 

 fancy. Just then, however, we saw a boat going up 

 the glassy loch towards our inn ; so, hailing it as 

 loud as we could, we managed to make the rowers 

 hear us, and they having come to the shore, we with 



