GRALLOCHING AND LAYING OUT. 71 



than I have ever been on this varied ground, where the air 

 is so refreshing and elastic." 



" Well, now you shall see the last offices paid." 



" Ah, that plunging of your man's long knife into his 

 chest, which is followed by such a stream of blood, is a 

 very kind one indeed." 



The deer, after having been thus bled, was opened and 

 gralloched. 



" Eh, look to the white-puddins, sir, and see till the fat 

 in his brisket and inside, and just pass your hand over his 

 haunches. Lord, what a deer ! " 



Lightfoot felt his haunches as desired, and asserted that 

 they were enormously fat, with as much confidence as Par- 

 son Trulliber would have done, though his conscience told 

 him he knew nothing at all about the matter. 



" Sandy, man, tak' the bag and white-puddins, and wash 

 them weel at the fall, and bring the. bag full of water, 

 and we will rinse out his inside, and mak' clean work wi' 

 him." 



This being performed, they turned his head back on his 

 shoulder, and covered it with peats, then shook over him 

 a little gunpowder, and tied a black flag to his horns, to 

 scare away the ravens. A few peats were heaped up in a 

 conspicuous place at a little distance, as a mark to show 

 where he was lying. 



" A fair beginning; now for another round of whiskey, 

 and then back to the head of our cast. As you complained 

 of being blown in going up the Mealowr, I must tell you 

 that there are some tracts of ground that are believed to be 

 so much under the power of enchantment, that he who 

 passes over any one of them would infallibly faint if he 

 did not use something for the support of nature ; it is 

 therefore customary to carry a piece of bread in one's 

 pocket to be eaten when one comes to what is called ' hun- 

 gry ground.' You ate enough, to be sure, but it was at 

 the wrong place." 



" What a narrow escape Derig had I It reminds me of an 

 event which happened in Sutherland in the Dirriemore 

 Forest. 



" A high-couraged dog was slipped after a deer among 



