44 “ WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cHar. v 
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 ina shealing, where he had re- 
tired 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 Ronald in describ- 
ing it), “and kept them down with one knee. A third chiel 
then came up, with a bit painted wand, and told me that he was 
a constable, but I could na help laughing at the man, he looked 
so frightened like ;—and I said to him, ‘ John Cameron, my 
man, you’d be better employed making shoes at home, than 
coming here to disturb a quiet lad like me, who only wants to 
rest himself :’ and then I said to the rest of them, still keeping the 
twa chiels under my knee, ‘ Ye are all wrong, lads; I’m no 
doing anything against the law; I am just resting myself here, 
and rest myself I will: and you have no right to come here to 
disturb me; so you'd best just mak off at once.’ They had not 
caught me shooting, Sir,” he added, “ and I was sure that no 
justice would allow of their seizing me like an outlaw. Besides 
which, I had the licence with me, though I didn’t want ta have to 
