A MONTH AT STRATHMAACOE 183 



proceedings of the splendid bird. While watching him a fox, 

 hunting a hare by scent just like a dog, ran into the focus 

 of the glass, but his nose did not seem very good, and pussy 

 easily won the day. 



Then we found a nice stag with horns nearly clear of velvet 

 feeding quite alone. He was some two miles off, but an easy 

 stalk, and in half-an-hour we were crouched in a very wet, dirty, 

 peat bog a hundred and twenty yards from him. Our quarry 

 was resting near the top of the hill a litde below our position, 

 with his back to us. Apparently he was lost in admiration 

 of the view, for beyond an occasional slight shake of the head, 

 or a flick of the ear, he seemed carved in stone. 



I was but a young hand at deer in those days, so whispered 

 to Donald, " How long is this going to last ? '" and received for 

 reply, " I'm no verra sure, sir, but anyway we will wait till he 

 rises." 



This, however, I did not feel at all inclined to do ; thus 

 when a very long hour had already lapsed, I proposed a sitting 

 shot, but was persuaded to " bide yet a wee " ; so I looked 

 at my watch and made a mental vow that if needs must I 

 would be patient for another sixty minutes. Now two hours 

 slip away in no time by the fire-side with a pretty girl to chat 

 with, or a nice book to read ; or equally at the dinner table, 

 or in the smoking-room, they vanish imperceptibly ; but two 

 hours spent cramped up in a horrid black peat bog, afraid to 

 move, speak, or smoke, and with nothing to do but keep a 

 continuous watch on a pair of horns standing out of the heather, 

 is quite another way of passing time, and was monotonous in 

 the extreme. 



At length the second hour went, and the beast was still 

 like the stag on my host's crest — couchant. I therefore began 

 to prepare to shoot. The rest for the rifle was good, the 

 mark absolutely still, and I thought it nearly impossible to 

 miss. But Donald was of a different opinion, and whispered 

 to me — 



