178 
GRUIL).^:. 
distant, for a gun ; but, as is usual in such cases, a party of 
visitors bad called during my absence, and carried off both 
guns and ammunition. More than an hour was spent in 
searching for another gun, but at last I succeeded in procuring 
a tremendously heavy old single-barrel, a little loose powder, 
and some rabbit-shot; and thus provided I hurried back. 
On my arrival, the bird was nowhere to be seen ; and I was 
about to leave, when it came sailing back in a sneaking sort of 
way, under shelter of the hill, and went down near the old spot. 
I got nearer without being observed, and was just wondering 
how to proceed next, the last sheltering patch of weeds having 
been readied, and the bird still far distant, when the latter, which 
until now had been walking slowly about with neck retracted 
and shoulders humped, — exactly in the position chosen by Yar- 
rell for his figure of the Heron, — suddenly stretched its neck 
to the full extent, ran several steps, and then took wing, uttering 
the same peculiar croaking sound as before. I fired instantly, 
but seeing that no serious effect was produced, threw myself 
fiat among the long grass, and the Crane, changing its course, 
flew directly over me, so close that I could distinctly see its 
eye. Then, while I was reloading, it took a long flight, circling 
about in various directions, sometimes sweeping close to the 
gi’ound, as if about to alight, and then rising so high in the air 
as to be almost out of sight. At length it settled upon the 
opposite side of the loch, whither I followed it, and was nearly 
within shot when a sheep-dog caught sight of it and drove it 
up. Then for upwards of three hours I continued the pursuit, 
the bird keeping an exceedingly sharp look-out, sometimes 
alighting in corn-fields or moist places, occasionally walking 
about and feeding, but always flying off for half a mile or more 
as I apj)roached. Then I lost sight of it for nearly an hour, 
and was far on my way home, when I caught a momentary 
glimpse of its wings as it went down near the old place. It 
remained there for a few minutes, and then went off to a field 
surrounded by a rough wall two feet high, where it remained 
feeding so contentedly that T made sure of success at last. 
