130 Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil. 



One day Jock invited us to shoot with him. It was early in September. 

 Soper and Chiffens had left, and the best of the sport was over, though 

 we still made out enough between grouse and blackgame, with outside 

 things, to show very decent bags of one kind and another. 



" Ranald, take Bran with you, and put my rifle over your shoulder. 

 We may see a stag in the pass or in Glen Buchie. I heard one had been 

 seen there." 



Ranald obeyed, and Bran was led out : a magnificent specimen of the 

 genus Canis, as fleet as a deer, and strong enough to pull a bull down; 

 of a deep", slaty brindle — a magnificent beast. 



On the grousing I will not again dilate. It was good enough for the 

 time of year, but the birds, of course, were now much wilder, and 

 wanted straight and quick shooting. We shot up a long glen, three abreast, 

 and were making a fairish bag, when we saw a gillie, who had been 

 despatched on a special mission to the height on the left, waving his cap 

 and gesticulating. 



"She'll have seen a deer, I'm thinkin'," said Ranald, as the man, seeing 

 he had attracted our notice, sunk down in the heather. 



" It looks likely. Give Mr F. the rifle, Ranald, and do you lead him 

 on, I'll follow," and we strode away in single file up the ascent. Twenty-five 

 minutes' climbing brought us near the top. 



"Now, be carefu' not to show the tip of yere nose even," said Ranald; 

 " do as I do. What is't, Sandy ?" 



" He's coomin' doon the pass. I saw him awa yonder till I lost sight 

 o'm behint yon big rock. Something's moved him, though he's not 

 mickle frightened ; but he's ganging steadily towards the pass, an' gif 

 ye hurry doon ye'll surely be in time." 



"Coom awa', sir!" said Ranald, seizing my arm. "Coom awa' !" and 

 he hurried me down the hill in a slanting direction ; Bran following, with 

 ears erect and bristles up, as if he knew full well all about it. 



A slantingdicular downhill trot of about a mile brought us to a 

 narrow neck, where the other glen debouched into this. Eor about half 

 a mile the hills on each side were precipitous, and along this we expected 

 the stag to come if he reaUy meant leaving the glen. There was a rock, 



