16 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER, 



themselves headlong down the face of the cliff or 

 quietly await a death of starvation, unless rescued by 

 a cool intrepidity worthy of the greatest hero, or 

 again in following up a wounded stag, with such skill 

 and perseverance that it is said he would in time over- 

 take one, even though only wounded in the foot, and 

 indeed in all trials of strength, patience, and nerve, he 

 is without a rival. Add to this a considerable supply 

 of natural shrewdness, together with an education far 

 above the average, at least among our English peasan- 

 try (for he can read his newspaper with a relish, and 

 discuss many general topics of conversation, besides a 

 smattering of Latin, which he acquired as a foster child 

 at the laird's house), and you have, as near as I can 

 give it, a description of my juvenile fidus Achates. 



But to return. Donald led the way ; and we found 

 it no easy task to keep pace with him, as he strode 

 along, or rather sprang, from one " moss hagg " to 

 another, by which name you must understand the 

 tufted lumps of dry earth which rise from the bogs, 

 and, like so many islets, or, as we call them here, 

 " inches," in a sea of peat, often afford the only safe 

 footing to be had in such localities ; the spaces between 

 being a black deposit, frequently of so great a depth 

 and so soft and moist, that one false step may involve 

 an immersion to the neck. After some four miles of 

 such travelling, we were not sorry, as you may suppose, 

 to arrive at our destination for the day, the river Red- 

 bum. In consequence of recent rain in the hill whence 

 the river takes its rise, we found a tolerable body of 

 water, and so far matters were in our favour ; but the 

 Redburn is a sluggish stream, and requires a brisk wind 

 to produce a ripple on its surface, or the fish will look 

 with indifference on the most brilliant fly the angler 

 can produce ; and to-day the river would, most pro- 



