CHAP. V POACHING IN THE HIGHLANDS 5' 



good-natured, self-satisfied swagger of a man who knows all the 

 women are admiring him. He is dressed in a plain giey kilt 

 and jacket, with an otter-skin purse and a low skull-cap with a 

 long peak, from below which his quick eye seems to take in at 

 a glance everything which is passing around him. A man 

 whose life is spent much in hunting and pursuit of wild animals, 

 acquires unconsciously a peculiar restless and quick expression 

 of eye, appearing to be always in search of something. When 

 Ronald doffs his cap, and shows his handsome hair and short 

 curling beard, which covers all the lower part of his face, and 

 which he seems to be something of a dandy about, I do not 

 know a finer-looking fellow amongst all my acquaintance — and 

 his occupation, which affords him constant exercise without 

 hard labour, gives him a degree of strength and activity seldom 

 equalled. As he walked into my room, followed by his two 

 magnificent dogs, he would have made a subject worthy of 

 Landseer in his best moments — and it would have been a 

 picture which many a fair damsel of high, as well as low degree, 

 would have looked upon with pleasure. Excepting when 

 excited, he is the most quiet, good-natured fellow in the world ; 

 but I have heard some stories of his exploits, in defence of his 

 liberty, when assailed by keepers, which proved his immense 

 strength, though he has always used it most good-naturedly. 

 One feat of his is worth repeating. He was surprised by five 

 men in a shealing, where he had retired to rest after some days' 

 shooting in a remote part of the Highlands. Ronald had a 

 young lad with him, who could only look on, in consequence of 

 having injured one of his hands. 



Ronald was awoke from his sleep in the wooden recess of 

 the shealing (which is called a bed), by the five men coming in, — 

 and saying that they had tracked him there, that he was caught 

 at last, and must come along with them. " 'Deed, lads," said 

 Ronald, without rising, " but I have had a long travel to-day, 

 and if I am to go, you must just carry me.'' " Sit quiet, 

 Sandy," he added to his young companion. " They'll no fash 

 us, I'm thinking." The men, rather surprised at such cool 

 language from only one man with nobody to assist him but a 

 boy, repeated their order for him to get up and go with them ; 

 but receiving no satisfactory answer, two of them went to his 

 bed to pull him out. "So I just pit them under me" (said 



