CH. XXV. VIEW OF COUNTRY — ROEBUCKS. 83 



On the other side the ground was of quite a 

 different character : immediately on leaving the 

 wood, the country for some distance had a dreary, cold 

 look, being covered not with heather, but with a kind 

 of grey grass, called there deer's grass, which grows 

 only in cold swampy ground. Here and there this 

 was varied by ranges of greystone and rock, and 

 dotted with numerous lochs. In the distance to the 

 west I could see the upper part of a favourite rocky 

 corrie, the sun shining brightly on its grey rocks : 

 a little to my right the fir-woods terminated, but 

 on that side, between me and the river, of which 

 every bend and reach was there in full view, were 

 numerous little hillocks with birch trees, old and 

 rugged, growing on them : here and there, too, 

 amongst these hillocks, was a great round grey 

 rock, and the whole of this rough ground was inter- 

 sected with bright green glades. Some three miles 

 up the river a blue line of smoke ascended per- 

 pendicularly in the still morning, the chimney 

 it came from being concealed by a group of birch- 

 trees. 



I looked carefully with my glass at all the nooks 

 and grassy places to see if any deer were feeding 

 about them, but could see nothing but two or three 

 old roe. A moment after a pair of young roe walked 

 quietly out of some concealed hollow, and after 



