48 DEER -DRIVING IN MULL. 



were but through the burn," and led the way. 

 The burn was full of large stones, deep linns, and 

 swollen by recent rain ; but by finding the ford 

 we managed to scramble through, about knee- 

 deep. Guided by the bellowing of the deer (for 

 we now distinguished more than one roaring), the 

 gap in the turnip field was easily found, and I 

 was quickly squatted, so as to have the quarry 

 between me and the sky when steadying them- 

 selves for the leap down from the field into the 

 moor. My sons and the shepherds had to move 

 them from the lower end, where they were now 

 feeding, and when they reached the gap they 

 would be about ten paces from my ambush. A 

 few minutes of suspense, and we heard the rush 

 of the deer bounding in our direction. They 

 halted with only the wall between us. Every 

 moment I expected a dark figure on the sky-line, 

 but they seemed bent on trying our patience. 

 Only when the drivers were close on them did 

 they deign to move, and then, instead of their 

 convenient egress, wandered alongside the wall 

 and made an uncomfortable exit at the burn ! 

 The wind being all right, it was impossible they 



