174 ANECDOTES. 



thin and gauze-like that the rocks were still visible 

 peeping through it in countless points. The effect pro- 

 duced altogether reminded me very much, on a large 

 scale, of those beautiful copper-coloured photographic 

 views of mountain scenery which you see gracing the 

 artists' windows in almost every town. 



As we began to descend the further side of the hill, 

 a sharp shower of sleet, came pelting in our faces, and, 

 thus forced to run for it, we were not long in reaching 

 the shelter of the cottage. As we arrived, the shep- 

 herd, who lived close by, had just come in from a long 

 ramble, and he assured us that there were no deer 

 within four or five miles of the cottage. Accordingly, 

 as it was now too late in the day to admit of our going 

 that distance, we agreed to postpone operations till the 

 morrow. 



Having replenished " the inner man " with a portion 

 of the venison slaughtered when we were last at the 

 cottage, with sundry other viands, rendered savoury by 

 that optimum condimentum a good appetite, we invited 

 the fox-hunter to join us over a glass of toddy, on the 

 understanding that he should in return amuse us, as 

 he had done on a former occasion, by relating some of 

 his sporting reminiscences. 



The following are a few of the scraps which my 

 imperfect knowledge of the language in which he spoke 

 enabled me to collect. 



He was sitting one day in spring, on the side of Ben 

 Fuoghlin, occupied in tending a flock of sheep. The 

 lambs were gambolling round their mothers, or, divided 

 into little bands, were chasing each other across the 

 brae, the picture of security and happiness. But how 

 often is the cup dashed from the lip ! An eagle 

 suddenly darted by him, an'd stooping on the ter- 



