CHAP.THIRTY-FOUR DEERHOUNDS 



know exactly where the deer were, while he held the dogs. 

 Raising my head gradually, I looked through a tuft of 

 rushes, and saw first the horns of the stag, and then the 

 heads of five of the hinds; they had lain down in the long 

 heather, near the spot they had been feeding on. Butwhere 

 were the remainder of the herd? I looked for two or three 

 minutes in vain, keeping my head perfectly motionless. 

 Presently, however, the rest of the deer appeared from 

 amongst some broken ground, a hundred yards higher up 

 the hill than the others. Having looked anxiously round 

 them, they all dropped quietly down to rest, with the ex- 

 ception of one lanky-looking hind, who stood motionless 

 on a small hillock, with her eyes and ears turned with great 

 attention in the direction of Donald's place of ambuscade: 

 she evidently had some kind of suspicion of danger from 

 that quarter, though she had not yet quite made up her 

 mind as to the reality of it. I lowered myself as gradually 

 as possible, and looked back at Malcolm. He was kneeling 

 on one knee with a dog held in each hand, the dogs them- 

 selves were a perfect picture, as they stood, with the most 

 intense expression of anxiety, watching my movements, 

 and snuffing the air in the direction in which I had been 

 looking; the wind was too light, however, for them as yet 

 to scent the deer. As they stood motionless, and scarcely 

 drawing their breath, I could plainly see their hearts beat- 

 ing with anxiety and eagerness; I explained the position 

 of the deer to Malcolm, and we immediately agreed that 

 no time was to be lost, lest they should take alarm at 

 Donald, whose whereabouts the hind seemed strongly to 

 suspect. 

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