CHAP. TWENTY-ONE MY FIRST STAG 



Frequently the hinds stopped and turned back to their 

 leader, who remained quite motionless, excepting that now 

 and then he scratched a fly off his flank with his horn or 

 turned his head towards the hill sidewhen a grouse crowed 

 or a plover whistled. The young stag was feeding quietly 

 within a hundred and fifty yards of us, and we had to lie 

 flat on the ground now and then to escape his observation. 

 The evening air already began to feel chill, when suddenly 

 the object of our pursuit jumped up, stretched himself, and 

 began feeding.Notliking the pasture close to him, he trotted 

 at once down into the flat ground right away from us. Don- 

 ald uttered a Gaelic oath, and I fear I added an English one. 

 The stacr that had been feeding so near us stood still for a 

 minute to watch the others, who were all now several hun- 

 dred yards away, grazing steadily. I aimed at him, but just 

 as I was about to fire he turned away, leaving nothing but 

 his haunch in view, and went after the rest. Donald ap- 

 plauded me for not shooting at him, but told me that our 

 case was hopeless, and that we had better make our way 

 home and attempt no more,as they were feeding in soopen 

 a place that it was impossible to get at them: even Bran 

 yawned and rose, as if he too had given up all hope. "I will 

 haveonetry, Donald; so hold the dog." "You need nafash 

 yoursel. Sir; they are clean out of all hope and reason." I 

 determined to make an effort before it became dusk; so 

 leaving Donald, I set off down the burn, looking for some 

 hollow place that might favour my getting up to them, but 

 I could find none: at last it struck me that I might by chance 

 get up within a long shot by keeping a small hillock, which 

 was in the middle of the plain, between me and the deer. 

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