A MONTH AT STRATHMAACOE 209 



now what do you think of my little stag? I saw him when 

 you told me to take a look at the small one, but I kept it 

 dark, to give you a pleasant surprise." The reply came — 

 " Hech, sir, but it's just the verra same stag I was hoping 

 to get you a chance at. You see, sir, it was like this — I hae 

 so often seen the sicht of such a gran beast as this mak my 

 gentlemen all o'er of a tremble, that I just telled ye it was 

 but a staggie we were after; but surely, sir, ye did not see 

 him too, for he went out of sicht before I passed you my 

 glass." 



To this I answered, " Yes, Angus, but he came back again, 

 and so I kept the matter dark, for I, too, have sometimes seen 

 the sight of such a splendid stag make the best of stalkers 

 rash, especially when he had to do his work against time ; 

 so we can each laugh at the other and cry quits over our 

 thirteen-pointer. So now for a taste of Glenlivet before we 

 drag him down the hill." 



It took us a good hour to haul our prize to the pony, and, 

 though aching arms with want of breath more than once called 

 a halt, we laughed at all troubles the while we cared not a jot 

 how late home we should be. The shot had indeed been a 

 lucky one, for on examination we found the bullet had gone 

 high and smashed the spine directly over the heart, while 

 two inches higher would have made it a miss altogether ; 

 moreover, it was almost the only wound that would have 

 assured a few moments of absolute immobility ; for, had the 

 bullet been fair in the heart, the chances are the stag would 

 have run a few paces at least, and then in his fall he 

 would have launched himself rolling down hill, to be dashed 

 to pieces like his predecessors. Our luck had also been the 

 greater as it is but seldom stags notice each other so early 

 in the season, for, as a rule, their jealousies do not commence 

 until quite a fortnight later. 



At the foot of the descent the pony-man met us, so all 

 three lending helping hands our quarry was quickly strapped 

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