178 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [euap. xxn. 
In the morning we started in different directions. I, accom- 
panied by a shepherd, went westward towards the sources of the 
river. I cannot say that I had much hope of finding deer, as the 
whole line of my march was full of sheep ; and red-deer will very 
seldom remain quiet when this is the case, either from a dislike 
to the sheep themselves, or from knowing that where there are 
sheep there are also shepherds and shepherds’ dogs. With black 
cattle, on the contrary, deer live in tolerable amity ; and I have 
frequently seen cattle and deer feeding together in the same 
glen. 
I went some miles westward, keeping up the course of the 
tiver, or rather parallel to it, sometimes along its very edge, and 
at other times at some distance from the water. The hignest 
building on the river, if building it can be termed, is a small 
shealing, or summer residence of the shepherds, called, I believe, 
Dahlvaik. Seeing some smoke coming from this hut, we went 
to it. When at some few hundred yards off, we were greeted 
with a most noisy salute from some half-dozen sheep-dogs, who 
seemed bent on eating up my bloodhound. But having tried her 
patience to the uttermost, till she rolled over two or three of them 
rather roughly (not condescending, however, to use her teeth), 
the colleys retreated to the door of the shealing, where they re- 
doubled, if possible, their noise, keeping up a concert of howling 
and barking enough to startle every deer in the country. My 
companion, whose knowledge of the English tongue was not very 
deep, told me that the owners of the dogs would be some “ lads 
from Strath Errick,” who were to hold a conference with him 
about some sheep. 
A black-headed, unshaven Highlander having come out, and 
kicked the dogs into some kind of quiet, we entered the hut, and 
found two more “lads” in it, one stretched out on a very rough 
bench, and the other busy stirring up some oatmeal and hot water 
for their breakfast. The smoke for a few moments prevented my 
making out what or who were in-the place. I held a short (very 
short) conversation with the three shepherds, they understanding 
not one word of English, and I understanding very few of Gaelic. 
But, by the help of the man who accompanied me, I found out 
that a stag or two were still in the glen, besides a few hinds. 
The meal and water having been mixed sufficiently, it was 
