350 THE HILL POACHER. 



quick eye, and long sight all very necessary accomplish- 

 ments for a hill poacher, and much improved by constant 

 use. Their expression is generally shy and repulsive, and 

 strangely belies their free step and almost graceful bear- 

 ing. Of the many dozens I have seen and conversed with, 

 few have been distinguished by any other characteristics. 

 Two exceptions to this general rule occur to me, and both, 

 though very different from each other, were no ordinary 

 men. 



When I first knew Gregor More of Callander, his poach- 

 ing days were over, for he had a mortal disease upon him, 

 from having lain out in the fields one cold night when 

 intoxicated. He still managed to saunter down the river, 

 and to give those beautiful sweeps with his line and salmon 

 fly which were the admiration of the whole clachan. He 

 engaged to show me the casts the first time I fished the 

 Teith ; and, from the character I had heard of him, I was 

 not prepared to be prepossessed by his appearance. 

 Drunkard, poacher, outlaw, (for he had been outlawed for 

 non-appearance after thrashing several fellows in some 

 broil,) I expected a mixture of cunning and ferocity, and 

 had my doubts whether he would play me fair in pointing 

 out the river. At a little distance, a tall, respectably 

 dressed man, with his plaid slung over his shoulder, and a 

 little terrier dog at his foot, seemed shaping his course 

 towards me. When he approached, he looked me full in 

 the face, took off his oil-skin cap, and made a respectful 

 bow. I had appointed Gregor to meet me a little farther 

 down, and now thought, can this possibly be the man ? 



