256 THRILLING ADVENTURES. , 



could feel the movements they caused in the air. Nothing 

 could be done in such weather, and I was not sure that I might 

 not be going away from my object. It was getting late, too, 

 and I had made up my mind that my most prudent plan was 

 to arrange a bivouac before it became quite dark. My wallet 

 was empty, except a few crumbs, the remains of my morn- 

 ing's baking. It was necessary to provide food ; and just as 

 the necessity occurred to me, I heard, through the mist, the 

 call of a cock grouse as he lighted close to me. I contrived 

 to get his head between me and the sky, as he was strutting 

 and croaking on a hillock close at hand ; and aiming at 

 where his body ought be, I fired my rifle. On going up to 

 the place, I found I had not only killed him, but also his mate, 

 whom I had not seen. It was a commencement of good luck. 

 Sitting down, I speedily skinned my birds, and took them 

 down to the burn to wash them before cooking. In crossing 

 a sandy spot beside the burn, I came upon could I believe 

 my eyes ? ' the track.' Like Robinson Crusoe in the same 

 circumstances, I started back, but was speedily at work taking 

 my information. There were prints enough to show the hart 

 had crossed at a walk, leisurely. It must have been lately, 

 for it was since the burn had returned to its natural size, 

 after the last night's flood. But nothing could be done till 

 morning, so I set about my cooking ; and having, after some 

 time, succeeded in lighting a fire, while my grouse were slowly 

 broiling, I pulled a quantity of heather, which I spread in a 

 corner, a little protected by an overhanging rock ; I spread 

 my plaid upon it, and over the plaid built another layer of 

 heather. My supper ended, which was not epicurean, I 

 crawled into my nest under my plaid, and, in spite of a rapid 

 change from a dull foggy sky to a clear keen frost, was soon 

 sound asleep. 



" Saturday. Need I say my first object was to go down 

 and examine the track anew. There was no mistake. It was 

 impossible to doubt that ' the muckle hart of Benmore' had 



