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the corner where I was posted he always managed to turn 

 back, perhaps almost running over some man who had no 

 gun : but he invariably escaped being shot at, excepting on 

 one occasion, when I placed a friend who was with me near 

 a pass by which the stag sometimes left a favourite wood. I 

 had stationed the shooter at the distance of half a mile from 

 the wood, as the deer was always most careful of himself, and 

 most suspicious of danger, when he first left the cover. On 

 this occasion, according to my friend's account, the great 

 beast had trotted quickly and suddenly past him at eighty 

 yards distance, and took no notice of the barrels dischaged at 

 his broadside, though fired by a very good shot, and out of a 

 first-rate Manton gun that carried ball like a rifle. My 

 friend could not account for missing him; but missed he 

 evidently was. 



I determined one day to start off alone in pursuit of this 

 stag, and to pay no attention to any other deer I might see 

 during my excursion. Donald's orders were to meet me at a 

 particular rock, about eight miles from home, the next day 

 at two o'clock ; my intention being, in the event of my not 

 returning the same night, to work my way to a distant shep- 

 herd's house, and there to sleep. Donald had directions as 

 to the line by which he was to come, that he might not dis- 

 turb one or two favourite corries ; and he was also to bring 

 a setter and my shooting apparatus, as I took with me only 

 a single-barrel rifle and a few bullets. I did not take 

 Bran, as, being alone, I could not be quite sure that he would 

 not be in my way when getting up to the deer, in case I found 

 him ; but I took a dog of a very different kind a powerful 

 bull-dog, who was well accustomed to deer-stalking, and who 

 would lie down for an hour together if desired to do so, with- 

 out moving an inch. 



On leaving the house at daybreak, or at least before the 

 sun was risen, I struck off in a straight line through the 

 woods, till, having got through the whole cover, I sat myself 

 down on the top of what was called the Eagle's Craig, and 

 turned, for the first time that morning, to the east to look at 

 the sun, which was now rising in its utmost glory and bright- 

 ness, a glorious sight, and one that loses not its interest 

 though seen each returning day, particularly when viewed 

 from the lonely places either of land or sea : below me lay a 

 great extent of pine-wood, concealing the house and the 

 cultivated land around it, with the exception of a glimpse 



