WILD SPOJiTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



(eight and nine years old), instead of disturbing the numberless 

 birds who breed in the garden and shrubberies, in full con- 

 fidet^ce of protection and irhmunity from all danger of gun or 

 snare, strike up an acquaintance with every family of chaf- 

 finches or blackbirds who breed in the place visiting every 

 nest, and watching over the eggs and young with a most 

 parental care. 



My principal aide-de-camp in my sporting excursions is an 

 old man, who, although ■ passing for somewhat of a simpleton, 

 has more acuteness and method in his vagaries than most of 

 his neighbours. For many"years he seems to have hved on 

 his gun, but with an utter contempt of, and animosity against, 

 all tho?ie who employ the more ignoble means of snaring 

 and trapping game ; and this makes him fulfil his duty as 

 keeper better than many persons trained regularly to that 

 employment. 



He is rather a peculiar person in his way, and has a natural 

 tendency to the pursuit of the rarer and wilder animals, such as 

 otters, seals, wiid-fowl, etc. — which accords well with my own 

 tastes in the sporting line — many a day, and many a night too, 

 at all seasons, has he passed lying in wait for some seal or 

 otter, ^regardless of wet or cold. 



His neighbours, though all allowing that he was a most 

 inveterate poacher, always gave him credit for a great deal of 

 simple honesty in other things. So one day, having caught 

 him in a ditch waiting for wild ducks, on my shooting-grounds, 

 instead of prosecuting, I took him into my service, where he 

 has now remained for some years ; and though he sometimes 

 shows an inclination to return to his former way of life, he lives 

 tolerably steady, taking great delight at all idle times, in teach^ 

 ing my children to shoot, fish, or trap vermin — a kind of learn- 

 ing which the boys, young as they are, have become great 

 proficients in, preferring Simon Donald to their Latin master ; 

 and though they attend regularly and diligently to the latter, 

 they make equally good use of the lessons of the former, and 

 can dress a fly and catch a dish of trout for dinner, gallop on 

 their Shetland ponies across the wildest country, or hit a mark 

 with a rifle as well as most boys of double their age. And, 

 after all, this kind of education does boys more good than 

 harm (as. long, as they do not neglect their books at the same 



