INVERNESS-SHIRE. 161 



late Lord Lovat. One day when out stalking, and 

 being near to Murdoch's hill-bothy, he went in, as 

 was his wont, to have a chat, when, whilst sitting 

 at the open door, there appeared a very fine stag 

 feeding over the sky-line not 300 yards distant. Lord 

 Lovat sprang to his feet to seize his rifle whilst 

 saying to Murdoch, " Look at that splendid stag ! 

 It is more than a royal." To this the veteran replied, 

 "Yes, my lord; he is just a grand fourteen-pointer, 

 and o'er yon knoll he comes most days about this 

 hour, until at last I've learnt to look for him and treat 

 him as a friend." On hearing these words Lord 

 Lovat at once laid aside his rifle, simply saying, 

 " Well, Murdoch, it will never be levelled against any 

 friend of yours ; " and thus to please his old servant he 

 denied himself a chance such as few deerstalkers 

 would have been able to resist. 



During the occupation of Fort Augustus by the 

 Duke of Cumberland's army, the hills of this forest were 

 silent witnesses of many cruelly savage reprisals on 

 the Highlanders by the royal soldiers. Indeed, the 



y 



