DEEE- DRIVING IN MULL. 59 



Beturning home jaded enough by a hard day, 

 yet pleased with its success, we were welcomed by 

 the Ugly Buck and his master, just arrived from 

 Scalastal. As we dared not part them again, we 

 despatched the pair in the fishing coble to bring 

 home the hart the hind lay within a few hundred 

 yards of the house. 



A Scotch mist was a good excuse for declining 

 the hills next morning, and as there were only two 

 more days before the steamboat touched at our 

 island, the dogs would be nicely rested for the con- 

 cluding hunt. It was a lovely one that last day 

 in Mull, bright, calm, and bracing enough to in- 

 spirit a clod. Of course, the first point to prove 

 was whether the stag would try skulking tactics. 

 A short cut led me to the look-out on the hill, but 

 my son had to go round with the beaters and 

 ascend the high ground from behind, so as to 

 humour the wind and reach his ambush unob- 

 served. I saw him breasting the hill and nearly 

 on its crest, when one of the shepherds thought- 

 lessly called to the dogs. It was a low caution, 

 yet was distinctly heard by me through the thin 

 air, and of course by the wily deer. As the rifle- 



