178 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxn. 



In the morning we started in different directions. I, accom- 

 panied by a shepherd, went westward towards the sources of the 

 river. I cannot say that I had much hope of finding deer, as the 

 whole line of my march was full of sheep ; and red-deer will very 

 seldom remain quiet when this is the case, either from a dislike 

 to the sheep themselves, or from knowing that where there are 

 sheep there are also shepherds and shepherds' dogs. With black 

 cattle, on the contrary, deer live in tolerable amity ; and I have 

 frequently seen cattle and deer feeding together in the same 

 glen. 



I went some miles westward, keeping up the course of the 

 river, or rather parallel to it, sometimes along its very edge, and 

 at other times at some distance from the water. The highest 

 building on the river, if building it can be termed, is a small 

 shealing, or summer residence of the shepherds, called, I believe, 

 Dahlvaik. Seeing some smoke coming from this hut, we went 

 to it. When at some few hundred yards off, we were greeted 

 with a most noisy salute from some half-dozen sheep-dogs, who 

 seemed bent on eating up my bloodhound. But having tried her 

 patience to the uttermost, till she rolled over two or three of them 

 rather roughly (not condescending, however, to use her teeth), 

 the colleys retreated to the door of the shealing, where they re- 

 doubled, if possible, their noise, keeping up a concert of howling 

 and barking enough to startle every deer in the country. My 

 companion, whose knowledge of the English tongue was not very 

 deep, told me that the owners of the dogs would be some " lads 

 from Strath Errick," who were to hold a conference with him 

 about some sheep. 



A black-headed, unshaven Highlander having- come out, and 

 kicked the dogs into some kind of quiet, we entered the hut, and 

 found two more " lads " in it, one stretched out on a very rough 

 bench, and the other busy stirring up some oatmeal and hot water 

 for their breakfast. The smoke for a few moments prevented my 

 making out what or who were in the place. 1 held a short (very 

 short) conversation with the three shepherds, they understanding 

 not one word of English, and I understanding very few of Gaelic. 

 But, by the help of the man who accompanied me, I found out 

 that a stag or two were still in the glen, besides a few hinds. 

 The meal and water having been mixed sufficiently, it was 



