A HIGHLAND LAIRD 35 



culs-de-saC) and being lured on into ugly scrambles 

 where retreat is difficult and advance impossible. The 

 forest is " grand ground," as any connoisseur will tell 

 you. Although by no means large, it is amply stocked, 

 for there are famous preserves on three sides of it ; 

 and in the depths of its valleys there is splendid feeding 

 that seduces the deer from extraordinary distances. 

 But the stalking is as difficult as well may be. In the 

 first place, you may sweep your range of vision with 

 the telescope, overlooking, after all, a number of 

 animals hidden out of sight, who will be sure to spoil 

 the stalk on the victim you have selected. Then 

 unless you have the head and foot of a chamois-hunter 

 you are not at all unlikely to come to grief : while the 

 actual exercise toiling up rocky heights, only to come 

 down again ; hanging on to ledges of rocks by the eye- 

 lids ; dragging yourself along stony water-courses at a 

 frightful expenditure of skin and homespun is safe to 

 try the temper and to test the stamina of the strongest. 

 Finally, it is difficult for the most experienced of 

 stalkers to make due allowance for the caprices of the 

 wind. It twists and turns in the most tantalising 

 fashion in the folds of the hills and the recesses of 

 the corries ; and just as you are crawling up wind, as 

 you fondly imagine, and congratulating yourself on a 

 highly successful cast, you are disagreeably conscious 

 of a side puff on your cheek that must infallibly carry 

 the alarm to the quarry. But all the difficulties that 

 would be insurmountable drawbacks to many people 

 are only additional attractions to the laird. Many is 



