223 NOX AMBROSIANA. 



little butter, pepper, and salt. We next had some 

 venison done in the same style, which I did not like so 

 much, so I betook myself to the cold ham, and left my 

 men to roast for themselves ; and roast they did, and 

 ate too, until I fancied Gillespie must have got two 

 deer at one shot, and had them both in the cave but 

 a hardish day's work, after a light breakfast at four in 

 the morning, gives an appetite that would astonish the 

 uninitiated. We then made some piping hot toddy in 

 our kettle ; and very refreshing it tasted, as I lay on 

 an Affghan goat-rug spread over fresh heather, with a 

 pipe filled with good " baccy " in my mouth. To, wind 

 up, I had tea the best drink a tired man can have (if 

 I have any hard walking to do, as in deer- stalking, I 

 always carry cold tea, without sugar or cream, in my 

 flask, instead of anything stronger), and the men had 

 some more venison cooked. I then betook myself to 

 the heather bed for the night, about nine, and lazily 

 watched and listened to the two men as they sat on 

 stones at opposite sides of the lire smoking and 

 exchanging stories, until I fell asleep. 



My repose that night scarcely deserved the name of 

 sleep. In reality it was five or six hours passed in a 

 half-conscious state of irritation, caused first by smoke, 

 secondly by cold, and thirdly by midges. The last- 

 named plague and, reader, if you don't know midges, 

 plague, I assure you, is too mild a term thoroughly 

 aroused me by five or six A.M. and forced me to 

 evacuate the cave ; for the gillies were not yet awake, 

 and by this time the tobacco and peat smoke had so 

 much dispersed as no longer to be any protection against 

 these tiresome little insects. Taking therefore my rod 

 in hand, I strolled down to the loch through which the 

 river I had been yesterday fishing runs, and though it 



