THE EAGLE'S CRAIG. 39 



its face almost as flat as a wall, save where immense 

 blocks, some of them as large as a three -storied house, 

 had been loosened by the thaws of spring, and fallen 

 to the ground below. The bottom of the glen was 

 strewed with these huge fragments, some half buried 

 in the soil, others shivered or cracked by the fall. 

 Donald took us to one spot, where an assemblage of 

 these, piled hap-hazard together as they had fallen, 

 had formed a large cavern, within which a flock of 

 sheep might safely find shelter. The name of this 

 cliff is Creag-an-islair, or the craig of the eagle, from 

 the fact of an eagle having, from time immemorial, 

 had its eyrie in a large cleft near the top. As we 

 passed the foot, numbers of hawks were wheeling 

 about its face, and a constant clamour was kept up as 

 they came in hostile contact. The scenery now 

 became gradually of a more tame character; and an 

 hour's stiff walking brought us once more to the 

 Laird's, where we found a hearty welcome and kind 

 inquiries as to our success. 



On the whole, then, though we had been guilty of 

 many blunders, our first bag was a very creditable one, 

 2 red-deer, remarkably fine heads, 2 roe, 4^ brace of 

 grouse, a black-cock, and last, though not the least 

 important, a fox and a gled ; which, I think my reader 

 will admit, was very fair as a first essay. 



