152 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS.  [cHap. xx. 
small furze cover, I saw a flock of some fifteen or sixteen white- 
fronted geese hovering over a small clover-field, not far from 
where I was. My attendant, who has a most violent liking for 
a ‘ wild-goose-chace,” immediately caught up the dogs, and made 
me sit down to watch the birds, who presently pitched, as we 
expected, on the clover-field. I was for immediately com- 
mencing the campaign against them, but this he would not 
admit of, and pointing out a part of the field sheltered by a bank 
overgrown with furze, where the clover was’ greener than else- 
where, he told me that in ten minutes the birds would be there. 
Knowing his experience and cunning in these matters, I pu: 
myself entirely under his orders, and waited patiently. The 
geese, after sitting quietly for a few minutes, and surveying the 
country around, began to plume their feathers, and this done, 
commenced feeding in a straight line for the green spot of grass, 
keeping, however, a constant watch in all directions. ‘“ They 
will be in that hollow in a minute, Sir,” said Simon; “and 
then, Sir, you must just run for it till you get behind the bank, 
and then you can easily crawl to within thirty yards of where 
they will pass.” Accordingly, the moment they disappeared in 
the hollow, I started literally ventre & terre. One of the wary 
birds, however, evidently not liking that the whole flock should 
be in the hollow at once, ran back and took up her station on 
the rising ground which they had just passed over, where she 
stood with her neck erect and looking in all directions. I was 
in full view of her, and at the moment was crossing a wet rushy 
spot of ground; nothing was left for it but to lie flat on the 
ground, notwithstanding the humid nature of my locale; the bird 
appeared rather puzzled by my appearance, and my grey clothes 
not making much show in the rushy ground and withered herbage’ 
which I was lying in, she contented herself with giving some 
private signal to the rest, which brought them all at a quick run 
up to her side, where they stood looking about them, undecided 
whether to fly or not. I was about two hundred yards from the 
birds; we remained in this manner for, I dare say, five minutes, 
the birds appearing on the point of taking wing during the whole 
time: suddenly I heard a shout beyond the birds, and they in- 
stantly rose in confusion and flew directly towards ne. As soon 
as they were over my head I stood un: the effect of my sudden 
