A MONTH AT STRATHMAACOE 201 



tlon, and the procession was soon winding, in single file, round 

 the base of the steep hill, on clearing the shoulder of which we 

 could see up into a good-sized corrie. 



At this point we halted, as from here Dyke was to turn 

 back, and so, while the forester was giving some directions 

 to the pony-man as to where to expect us later, pulling out my 

 glass I immediately found three small stags feeding in a burn 

 not a mile off. As they had not seen us, we drew out of sight 

 while the forester took a peep, but only to pronounce them un- 

 shootable. Then we all three crawled up for a reinspection, 

 when Dyke, with a longing look, said, " By Jove ! if there had 

 been a shootable beast in the lot, I really believe I could have 

 got up to him." On hearing this, I fell back to ask the 

 head forester to give my friend a shot, for even though he did 

 kill a small beast, I felt sure our host would not mind as long 

 as it gave pleasure to his disabled guest. 



Here Dyke joined us again, and Angus — for that was the 

 forester's name — said to him, " There's just one of them, sir, 

 that might be worth a shot, and Mr. Gee tells me ye hae 

 a fancy to try it, and there's sma' doot but what we can get up 

 to them if you are still of the same mind ; but, sir, it is just only 

 the one I point out to you that you must take." 



Dyke was delighted, so dropping on his hands and knees, 

 he crawled the whole distance with hardly a halt. Angus 

 took him up well to a capital position about eighty yards 

 off the quarry, and then, putting the rifle into his hand, 

 whispered — 



" There, take that one to the west." 



" Which is west ? " murmured Dyke. 



"The one on the knowe, sir, the nearest of the three," 

 answered Angus. 



Dyke laid the rifle, and as the report rang out the stag 



dropped, then while the two others were bolting at full speed, 



crack went the left barrel, which brought down one of them, 



while before Angus could expostulate the rifle was reloaded, and 



2 D 



