TRAP BAITED WITH WHISKEY. 197 



arrived, at the grey dawn of day, at the shepherd's lodge 

 at Gaig. He had previously left his attendant and his 

 horse and gun a considerable distance above the lodge, at 

 a place called Gargaig. He soon roused the shepherds from 

 their slumbers, and, pretending to be very drunk, laid him- 

 self down upon one of the beds they had quitted. This 

 was all very natural, for Peter had no great character for 

 sobriety ; loud and deep did he snore never surely was 

 sleep so sound. 



And now, as he was lying dormant, as it seemed, what 

 should the shepherds see but the black neck of a whiskey 

 bottle peeping out from one of his pockets. Why should 

 they not tak' it? What for no ? the man was fou already, 

 and couldna want mair. Out it came then, and was soon 

 despatched. The said bottle was then filled with water, 

 and returned to the place from whence they extracted it. 

 Breck then turned restlessly on his other side, when, lo ! 

 the neck of another bottle delighted the eyes of the fortun- 

 ate herdsmen ; this was treated precisely in the same manner 

 as the first had been, for Breck's snoring was awful, and 

 they were safe enough from interruption. As soon as this 

 second bottle had been filled with water and replaced in the 

 pocket, Peter thought proper to awake. The shepherds now 

 having drunk a bottle of whiskey each, had little inclina- 

 tion to go to the hill ; so they made a fire, and began to 

 cook some victuals; Breck joined them as they were eating, 

 and told them he could help them to some good whiskey, 

 which he had in his pocket : this they thought it prudent 

 to decline, saying it was too early to drink ; but little sus- 

 pecting that he had been watching all their motions. 



Both the herdsmen soon became heavy, and feeling 

 inclined to sleep, the one threw himself on the bed, and 

 the other slept on his seat by the fireside. Breck having 

 thus far accomplished his object, stole out of the bothy, 

 and seeing the cows and the stag browsing in the plain 

 below, he drove them slowly to Gargaig, where he had left 

 his rifle, horse, and attendant. The stag followe'd the cows, 

 as he was accustomed to do ; and now being fairly at too 

 great a distance from the lodge for his shot to be heard, he 

 levelled, and despatched the hart most deliberately. No 



