A CURIOUS HEAD. 1?3 



the shadowy form of the water-wraith flits across his 

 bewildered een, or he hears the moan of some restless 

 spirit in the soughing of the summer breeze. The 

 howl of the wild-cat, the cry of the heron, disturbed at 

 his moonlight meal, the curlew's plaintive note, and 

 many another sound of life, to him have each their tale 

 to tell. The phantom fire that twinkles on the bog, 

 the varying shadows thrown by the moon across the 

 moor, betoken to him the presence of beings of another 

 mould. 



With such opportunities then for observation, such 

 seasons for thought, such ample scope for fancy, and 

 such scenery withal, to afford inspiration, 'twould 

 indeed be no wonder were the language of the Gael 

 instinct with the power of poesy; while each untutored 

 child of the mist and the mountain, with no other book 

 to read but that lying open on his native hills, might 

 cherish the spirit as well as the speech of an Ossian. 



P.S. I subjoin a curious anecdote, recently related 

 to me by Alister, as he received it from the mouth of 

 the person concerned, a keeper employed in the adjoin- 

 ing forest. 



" I was ordered to get a good stag for his Lordship, 

 just about the beginning of the rutting season. Soon 

 after entering the forest, and near the top of Corr-an- 

 Finnoch, I noticed a very large beast lying by itself ; 

 which, on an examination through the glass, puzzled 

 me very much, as it was evidently of the largest stag 

 size, and yet had no antlers, but apparently the head of 

 a hind. I stalked it to within about seventy yards, and 

 sat down to await the time when it should rise for its 

 afternoon feed, that I might then ascertain surely what 

 it was. The day however being rather stormy, a puff 

 of wind wheeled my scent round to him, and of course 

 he was on his feet in a moment, and another moment 



