DEER-STALKING AND COURSING 



who remained quite motionless, excepting that now and then 

 he scratched a fly off his flank with his horn or turned his head 

 towards tlie hiU-side when a grouse or a plover whistled. The 

 young stag was feeding quietly within a hundred and fifty 

 yards of us, and we had to lie flat on the ground now and then 

 to escape his observation. The evening air already began 

 to feel chill, when suddenly the object of our pursuit jumped up, 

 stretched himself and began feeding. Not liking the pasture 

 close to him, he trotted at once down into the flat ground right 

 away from us. Donald uttered a Gaelic oath, and I fear I 

 added an English one. The stag that had been feeding so 

 near us stood still for a minute to watch the others, who were 

 all now several hundred yards away, grazing steadily. I 

 aimed at him, but jvist as I was about to fire he turned away, 

 leaving nothing but his haunch in view, and went after the rest. 

 Donald applauded me for not shooting at him, but told me that 

 our case was hopeless, and that we had better make our way 

 home and attempt no more, as they were feeding in so open a 

 place that it was impossible to get at them : even Bran yawned 

 and rose, as if he too had given up all hope. " I will have one 

 try, Donald ; so hold the dog." " You needna fash yoursel'. 

 Sir ; they are clean out of all hope and reason." 



' I determined to make an effort before it became dusk, so 

 leaving Donald, I set off down the burn, looking for some 

 hollow place that might favour my getting up to them, but I 

 could find none ; at last it struck me that I might by chance 

 get up within a long shot by keeping a small hillock, which 

 was in the middle of the plain, between me and the deer. The 

 hillock was not two feet high, and all depended on the animals 

 keeping together, and not outflanking me. On I went, not on 

 my hands and knees, but crawling like a snake, and never 

 rising even to my knee. I could see their hind-quarters as 

 they walked away, feeding, however, most eagerly, and when 

 they looked up I lay still flatter on the ground with my face 

 buried in the heather. They appeared, however, not to 

 suspect danger in the open plaiiL, but often looked anxiously 



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