Michael, a young American, is studying for his Master's in anthropology at the University of Edinburgh. He stays at a house in Croichan in the Highlands for three weeks to study the superstitions of the local people. He takes his saluki Phoebe with him, and though she is a hunting dog, he decides that he and Phoebe will no longer hunt in favor of a more Buddhist lifestyle. In the Highlands, Michael meets Callum and Mary Macdonald. Callum has artificial legs and is, for the most part, immobile, so Michael offers to help Mary with the gardening in order to grow closer to the couple. Michael speaks with Callum, who is pretty antisocial but likes Phoebe. Mary tells Michael not to let Phoebe kill Fochan's sheep down the street; he shot the last dog that killed one of his sheep. One day, Michael spots a blue hare and forgets his promise to quit hunting. He tells Phoebe instinctively to go after the hare, and by the time he realizes what he has done, it is too late; Phoebe is too fast and too driven. She kills the hare. Michael realizes that Callum watched the whole hunt unfold, and he is entertained and astounded. Michael asks the Macdonalds about some folk stories. He reads from a book called the Brahum Seer. He becomes enamored with Callum. Near the end of Michael's three weeks in the Highlands, Fochan returns to town. He visits the Macdonalds and speaks to Callum in Scots Gaelic. After a bit, Callum tells Michael that Fochan said in Gaelic that the sheep are not around, implying that Phoebe can run free in the area. After the conversation, Michael lets Phoebe roam the fields. Phoebe spots a sheep, and the hunt begins. She kills a sheep, and Michael's frustration grows. He looks up at the top of the hill and knows that Callum is eagerly watching.