262 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



appearing at nightfall, they became much alarmed, and ar- 

 ranged a party to search the mountain at break of day. As 

 he had said something about destroying the wild-cats, they 

 determined first to seek him there. Within a short distance 

 of the precipice they at once saw him seated on a rock quite 

 dead ! His shepherd's staff, with his gully-knife tied on the 

 end of it, was lying by his side, and a full pinch of snuff be- 

 tween his fingers. They traced a stream of blood to the wild- 

 cats' rock, and upon looking at the knife it was dyed red also. 

 The whole was soon apparent. The farmer, in endeavouring 

 to stab the cats with his spear-knife, had stumbled upon it, 

 and divided the femoral artery. His first natural impulse was 

 to run home ; but immediately getting faint, he had attempted 

 to 'refresh himself with a pinch, when his hand fell powerless 

 for ever. The man's face was familiar to me : I had often 

 exchanged with him the friendly greeting when rowing up 

 Loch Lubnaig for a few hours' fly-fishing ; and I could hardly 

 realise that he whom I had seen working at his peats a few 

 days before, in full health and vigour, was now stiff and cold 

 as the rocks of his mountain. The lesson was strange and 

 startling, that he who had prepared the weapon of death, 

 should so suddenly have perished by it himself. Full of life's 

 hopes and cares, with an eye undimmed and his natural force 

 unabated, he had gained the ridge of the Hill of God, 1 there 

 all unwarned and unattended to die. 



1 Ben Ledi signifies in English "the hill of God"; and, I believe, takes its 

 name from the old tradition of pilgrims crossing the mountain to sacrifice on the 

 other side. 



