1)2 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND, CH. VI. 



have undertaken the task. I had frequently to lift 

 my dog up the steep rocks over which I had to 

 climb. At last I came to a point from which I 

 could get a look at the bird, and with as much care 

 as if he had been a stag, I crept to a convenient 

 place, and looking over, saw him still perched on 

 the pinnacle of a rock, but quite out of reach. I 

 found that I must still make another long circuit, 

 or that I could not get unperceived within reach of 

 him. 



This time, on looking carefully over, I saw that 

 he must be within shot of me, but the place I was 

 perched on was so high and steep that it almost 

 made me giddy to look down from it. I was com- 

 pletely out of breath, too ; so lying down on my 

 back, I waited a minute or two, and then scrambled 

 down to within forty yards of the bird, and imme- 

 diately above him. As my gun was loaded with a 

 cartridge, I knew that he could scarcely escape ; 

 so standing up, I took a good look at him, expecting 

 that he would see me and fly off the stone, and in- 

 tending to shoot him flying. Whether from the 

 earnestness with which he was watching the move- 

 ments of Dunbar, who was far below him, or from 

 the manner in which his head-feathers projected, he 

 did not appear to see me at all. After waiting a 

 short time without his moving, I am sorry to say 



