THE FOX-HUNTER. 13 



a lift of some five miles. A short pull up a steep 

 " brae " brought us to the cottage of a dignitary yclept 

 " the fox-hunter " a most useful though nondescript 

 character on a Highland farm whose occupation of 

 keeping down the number of vermin (such as martens, 

 foxes, otters, eagles, et id genus omne) is agreeably 

 varied, when occasion requires an extra hand, by the 

 duties of either keeper or shepherd. We had no 

 sooner reached his door, than we were assailed and 

 completely hemmed in by a large and most unpleasantly 

 clamorous pack of the so-called fox-hounds, composed 

 of smooth terriers, Skyes, and English hounds, with 

 crosses and mongrels ad infinitum. The clamour of 

 the hounds and our own consequent alarm somewhat 

 abated, we learnt that though Gillespie himself (the 

 fox-hunter) was away on a distant part of the farm, he 

 had left instructions for us with his wife; and she 

 accordingly entered into a long colloquy with Donald, 

 not one .word of which could Walter or I comprehend, 

 being entirely Gaelic ; but the substance of it, as he 

 afterwards informed us, was to the effect that a fine 

 stag had been seen lately, more than once, in a 

 hollow in Ben Fuoghlin, not more than three miles 

 distant from the cottage, and that there were several 

 roe-deer in some birch woods in Strathmohr, about 

 five miles off, and nearly in the same direction; so 

 that the two places might be visited in the same day, 

 before fairly entering the distant and more unfrequented 

 parts of the forest. 



Accordingly, sending Sandy forward with a large bag 

 of provisions which we had brought with us, composed 

 of barley bannocks, mutton ham, and usquebaugh, to 

 the hut where we purposed passing the night, and 

 possibly, if sport should prove good, two or three 



