CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO AUTUMN 



look there," he added, pointingwithhis chin. I accordingly 

 took my perspective, as he always called my pocket-tele- 

 scope, and saw a long line of deer winding from amongst 

 the broken granite in single file down towards us. They 

 keptadvancingoneafter the other,and had a most singular 

 appearance as their line followed the undulations of the 

 ground. They came slowly on, to the number of more than 

 sixty (all hinds, not a horn amongst them), till they arrived 

 at a piece of table-land four or five hundred yards from us, 

 when they spread about to feed, occasionally shaking off 

 the rain-drops from their hides, much in the same manner 

 as a dog does on coming out of the water. 



"They are no that canny, "said Donald. "Nousverrons" 

 said I. "What's your wull?" washisanswer; "I'm no under- 

 standing Latin, though my wife has a cousin who is a placed 

 minister." "Why, Donald, I meantto saythat we shall soon 

 see whether they are canny or not: a rifle- ball is a sure 

 remedy for all witchcraft." Certainly there was something 

 rather startling in the way they all suddenly appeared as 

 it were from the bowels of the mountain, and the deliber- 

 ate, unconcerned manner in which they set to work feed- 

 ing like so many tame cattle. 



We had but a short distance to stalk. I kept the course 

 of a small stream which led through themiddle of the herd; 

 Donald followed me with my gun. We crept up till we 

 reckoned that we must be within an easy shot, and then, 

 looking most cautiously through the crevices and cuts in 

 the bank, I saw that we were in the very centre of the herd: 

 many of the deer were within twenty or thirtv yards, and all 

 feeding quickly and unconscious of any danger. Amongst 

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