THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 257 



actually walked through that burn a few hours before me, 

 and in the same direction. I followed the track and breasted 

 the opposite hill. Looking round from its summit, it appeared 

 to me a familiar scene, and, on considering a moment, I found 

 I overlooked, from a different quarter, the very same rocky 

 plain and the two black lochs where I had seen my chase three 

 days before. I had not gazed many minutes, when I saw a 

 deer lying on a black hillock which was quite open. I lay 

 down immediately, and with my glass made out at once the 

 object of all my wandering. My joy was somewhat abated by 

 his position, which was not easily approachable. My first 

 object, however, was to withdraw myself out of his sight, 

 which I did by crawling backwards down a little bank, till 

 only the tips of his horns were visible, and they served to 

 show me that he continued still. As he lay looking towards 

 me, he commanded with his eye three-fourths of the circle ; 

 and the other quarter, where one might have got in upon him 

 under cover of the little hillock, was unsafe, from the wind 

 blowing in that direction. A burn ran between him and me, 

 one turn of which seemed to come within two hundred yards 

 of him. It was my only chance ; so, retreating about a half 

 a mile, I got into the burn in hidden ground, and then crept 

 up its channel with such caution, that I never allowed myself 

 a sight of more than the tips of his horns till I reached the 

 nearest bend to him. There looking through a tuft of rushes, 

 I had a perfect view of the noble animal, lying on the open 

 hillock, lazily stretched out at length, and only moving now 

 and then to scratch his flank with his horns. I watched him 

 for fully an hour, the water up to my knees all the time. At 

 length he stirred, gathered his legs together, and rose ; and 

 arching his back, he stretched himself just as a bullock does 

 when rising from his night's lair. My heart throbbed, as 

 turning all round he seemed to try the wind for his security, 

 and then walked straight to the burn, at a point about one 

 hundred and fifty yards from me. I was much tempted, but 



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