COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 241 



shooting is all a d d fallacy " . I had hardly said 



so when a great stag appeared almost under the big 

 stone, about ten yards off, so near that he fired 

 down on it and missed ; it turned back and dis- 

 appeared. I ran back to my place, not so much 

 hoping to see the deer, but hoping that I should not 

 be found out. I had only been there a minute 

 when I saw the deer walking quietly along, broadside 

 on, about 100 yards away. There was a vista down 

 between the trees, and as he passed it I loosed at 

 him, and saw that I had hit him. I ran on a few 

 yards and got another shot, and saw that I had hit 

 him again. I waited till the beaters came up. One 

 of them put a retriever on the scent, and found him 

 dead. This was the only stag I ever shot, and I 

 have never been out again. 



The Duchess-Countess was very kind, showing 

 us all over the castle herself. 



On the 17th we hired a carriage at Inverness 

 and drove all round the west coast — Inchdamp, 

 Lochinver, Scourie, Overskey — a wonderful, wild, 

 rocky country ; back to Uppat, and then home 

 again by Caledonian Canal, Oban, Loch Lomond, 

 Stirling and Perth. Got home on 23rd September, 

 and commenced hunting on 25th September ; Fred 

 Turpin, Jack Wilson and Jim Hewitt, 2nd horseman, 



29th October. — I was staying at Pitfirrane. 



Met at Saline ; rained torrents all day ; found in 



Milton Glen ; ran through Cleish Wood to Aldie 



Strips, and lost him. I started to go home wet 



through. A woman at a farm-house gave me a 

 VOL. I. 16 



