352 THE HILL POACHER. 



against him by the foresters that he " kent" every favoured 

 track as well as themselves. He was also a first-rate 

 marksman with a ball, and generally carried off the prize 

 at the St Fillan's games. When talking to him, it was 

 impossible not to be struck with the point of what he said ; 

 and his superiority in these sports, over his fellows, no 

 doubt lay in bringing to bear upon them the full weight of 

 his original mind. 



It was a constant remark in summer, that, whenever you 

 " kent whuskey on Gregor,' 1 you might be sure he had 

 taken a salmon. To eat his fish was, to say the least, 

 improvident, as bringing no supply when the fishing was 

 over and he unable to work. But to drink them ! Alas 

 for poor Gregor in the winter ! Want, of course, came 

 then, and I was apprised of his destitute circumstances. I 

 sent a man on whom I could rely to procure him food ; but 

 upon no account to give him the money to spend for Eim- 

 self. About new-year, however, when whisky is free, 

 Gregor and another man quarrelled about some flies, which 

 the former had agreed to dress. Every one said that the 

 man behaved shamefully, considering that Gregor's hands 

 were in a manner tied. He set up " an awfu' tongue,' 1 

 till at last Gregor's blood boiled, and he chased him out of 

 the house into the village. The constables apprehended 

 Gregor; he was tried, and sentenced to be transported. 

 But, poor fellow, his shattered frame pined in the confine- 

 ment of a gaol. He soon broke completely down when 

 deprived of the fresh air on the banks of his own Teith ; 

 and, before the time for his embarkation arrived, he was 



