CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO AUTUMN 



Having discharged our guns, which we did close to a 

 steep and very noisy cascade in the burn, so that the report 

 could scarcely be heard beyond the place we were in, we 

 dried the locks as well as we could, and after a meagre 

 breakfast on the remains of the trout and some very wretch- 

 ed remnants of oatcake, we proceeded on our journey. The 

 deer had moved from the valley where we had left them the 

 previous evening; but Donald, who knew every mountain 

 and glen in the country, having ascertained exactly the 

 way the wind came from, led me off in an easterlydirection. 

 The sun was well up when we came towards the summit 

 of a hill from which he expected to see the herd, and his 

 anticipations proved to be correct; on looking carefully 

 down into the extended valley below us, we saw the whole 

 of them. They had apparently finished feeding, and were 

 retiring to rest on a hill side which faced the morning sun; 

 the hinds were in a compact body, while the largest hart 

 kept a little to their rear, and constantly employed himself 

 in keeping off a number of smaller stags who were moving 

 about; occasionally one of these would make an impatient 

 rush into the centre of the herd of hinds, but was as quickly 

 driven out by the large stag, who then returned to his post 

 in the rear. When they had ascended to near the summit, 

 the hinds began to drop one by one into the long heather, 

 until they were all lying down, with the exception of five 

 or six who kept constantly fidgeting about, turning their 

 long ears and snuffing the air in all directions. The old stag 

 walked quietlyabout,going round and round the herd;now 

 ~ — and then lying down for a few moments, and then rising 

 again, to see that no other stagintruded toonear.The small- 

 411 



