60 DEEE- DRIVING IN MULL. 



man, however, was now on the hill-top, and rapidly 

 descending to his post, all seemed safe, when at 

 this critical moment, and never suspecting that an 

 enemy was marching parallel and would soon be 

 in possession of the defile, quietly emerged from 

 the thicket the object of our wiles. Scarcely able 

 to restrain my impatience, I yet felt sure that a 

 " haste signal " would put the stag on his guard ; 

 but if left to his own devices, he might possibly 

 linger until retreat was death. The marksman, 

 equally unconscious of the magnificent trophy 

 almost within reach of his rifle, stepped briskly 

 on, and was within rifle shot of the pass when the 

 deer glided carelessly into it. Had he been aware 

 of the position of his victim, even now the stag 

 could not have escaped; but by inadvertently 

 crossing his wind the danger was instantly reveal- 

 ed. Eaising his branching front, and snuffing the 

 "tainted gale," he vanished suddenly round the 

 hill, and with him all hope of adding to our list 

 the royal head of the Garrochree stag. 



As there were no more deer in Garrochree, the 

 hunt was sent round to the north end of Torlochan 

 to beat up for the south passes, which we had now 



