96 DEER-STALKING. CH. XXVI. 



CHAP TEE XXVI. 



Sleeping in Shepherd's House — Start in the Morning — Eagle — 

 Wild-geese — Find Deer ; unsuccessful shot — Rocky Ground 

 — Wounded Stag — Keeper and Dog — Walk Home. 



Before the earliest grouse-cock had shaken his 

 plumage, and called his mate from her heather 

 couch, I had left my sleeping-place in the building 

 that did duty for a barn, where deep in the straw 

 and wrapped in my plaid I had slept sound as a 

 deer-stalker, and I fancy no person sleeps more 

 soundly. I had preferred going to roost in the 

 clean straw to passing the night within the house, 

 knowing by former experience that Malcolm's sheal- 

 ing was tenanted by myriads of nocturnal insects 

 which, like the ancient Britons, " feri hospitibus," 

 would have left me but little quiet during the night. 

 The last time I had slept there, all the fleas in the 

 shearing, " novitatis avidi," had issued out, and 

 falling on the body of the unlucky stranger, had 

 attacked me in such numbers, that unanimity only 

 was wanting in their proceedings to have enabled 

 them to carry me off bodily. Tempted by the clean 



