CH. V. BEN CLEEBRICK. 65 



noon instead of midnight; occasionally, too, both 

 widgeon and teal were heard to whistle each after 

 its own peculiar fashion ; and the quack of the 

 common mallard was also constant. Now and then 

 a note expressive of alarm was uttered by some 

 bird, and immediately a dead silence was kept by 

 the whole community for a few moments ; but this 

 was soon succeeded by a greater noise than ever, 

 particularly amongst the peewits, which seemed by 

 their cries to be darting about the head of some 

 intruder or enemy. Probably on these occasions a 

 fox, wHd cat, or owl had made his appearance 

 amongst them in search of tender food for his own 

 young ravening brood. 



Though I had to rise very early, I betook myself 

 to bed with great regret, and left the window 

 open, in order to hear the serenade of the sedge 

 warbler to the last moment of being awake. 



Ben Cleebrick, the highest hill (or nearly so) in 

 Sutherland, is immediately in front of the inn ; and 

 the forester, after looking at me from head to foot, 

 pronounced his dictum that he thought I should get 

 to the top in two hours or so ; at any rate, that he 

 could do it in that time. Notwithstanding the 

 threatening look of the mist on its summit, I started, 

 hoping to see some ptarmigan nests amongst the 

 loose stones near the top. Dunbar warned me that 



