44 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. v. 



As he walked into my room, followed by his two magnificent 

 dogs, he would have made a subject worthy of Landseer in his 

 best moments and it would have been a picture which many a 

 fair damsel of high, as well as low degree, would have looked 

 upon with pleasure. Excepting when excited, he is the most 

 quiet, good-natured fellow in the world ; but I have heard some 

 stories of his exploits, in defence of his liberty, when assailed by 

 keepers, which proved his immense strength, though be has always 

 used it most good-naturedly. One feat of his is worth repeating. 

 He was surprised by five men in a shealing, where he had re- 

 tired to rest after some days' shooting in a remote part of the 

 Highlands. Ronald had a young lad with him, who could only 

 look on, in consequence of having injured one of his hands. 



Ronald was awoke from his sleep in the wooden recess of the 

 shealing (which is called a bed), by the five men coming in, 

 and saying that they had tracked him there, that he was caught 

 at last, and must come along with them. " Deed, lads," said 

 Ronald, without rising, " but I have had a long travel to-day, 

 and if I am to go, you must just carry me." " Sit quiet, Sandy," 

 he added to his young companion. " They '11 no fash us, I 'm 

 thinking." The men, rather surprised at such cool language 

 from only one man with nobody to assist him but a boy, repeated 

 their order for him to get up and go with them ; but receiving 

 no satisfactory answer, two of them went to his bed to pull him 

 out. " So I just pit them under me " (said Ronald in describ- 

 ing it), <x and kept them down with one knee. A third chiel 

 then came up, with a bit painted wand, and told me that he was 

 a constable, but I could na help laughing at the man, lie looked 

 so frightened like; and I said to him, 'John Cameron, my 

 man, you 'd be better employed making shoes at home, than 

 coming here to disturb a quiet lad like me, who only wants to 

 rest himself:' and then I said to the rest of them, still keeping the 

 twa chiels under my knee, ' Ye are all wrong, lads ; I 'm no 

 doing anything against the law ; I am just resting myself here, 

 and rest myself I will : and you have no right to come here to 

 disturb me ; so you 'd best just mak off at once.' They had not 

 caught me shooting, Sir," he added, " and I was sure that no 

 justice would allow of their seizing me like an outlaw. Besides 

 which, I had the licence with me, though I didn't want to have to 



