152 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix. 



small furze cover, I saw a flock of some fifteen or sixteen white- 

 fronted geese hovering over a small clover-field, not far from 

 where I was. My attendant, who has a most violent liking for 

 a " wild-goose-chace," immediately caught up the dogs, and made 

 me sit down to watch the birds, who presently pitched, as we 

 expected, on the clover-field. I was for immediately com- 

 mencing the campaign against them, but this he would not 

 admit of, and pointing out a part of the field sheltered by a bank 

 overgrown with furze, where the clover was greener than else- 

 where, he told me that in ten minutes the birds would be there. 

 Knowing his experience and cunning in these matters, I put 

 myself entirely under his orders, and waited patiently. The 

 geese, after sitting quietly for a few minutes, and surveying the 

 country around, began to plume their feathers, and this done, 

 commenced feeding in a straight line for the green spot of grass, 

 keeping, however, a constant watch in all directions. " They 

 will be in that hollow in a minute, Sir," said Simon ; " and 

 then, Sir, you must just run for it till you get behind the bank, 

 and then you can easily crawl to within thirty yards of where 

 they will pass." Accordingly, the moment they disappeared in 

 the hollow, I started literally venire a terre. One of the wary 

 birds, however, evidently not liking that the whole flock should 

 be in the hollow at once, ran back and took up her station on 

 the rising ground which they had just passed over, where she 

 stood with her neck erect and looking in all directions. I was 

 in full view of her, and at the moment was crossing a wet rushy 

 spot of ground ; nothing was left for it but to lie flat on the 

 ground, notwithstanding the humid nature of my locale; the bird 

 appeared rather puzzled by my appearance, and my grey clothes 

 not making much show in the rushy ground and withered herbage 

 which I was lying in, she contented herself with giving some 

 private signal to the rest, which brought them all at a quick run 

 up to her side, where they stood looking about them, undecided 

 whether to fly or not. I was about two hundred yards from the 

 birds ; we remained in this manner for, I dare say, five minutes, 

 the birds appearing on the point of taking wing during the whole 

 time : suddenly I heard a shout beyond the birds, and they in- 

 stantly rose in confusion and flew directly towards me. As soon 

 as they were over my head I stood up : the effect of my sudden 



