ANECDOTE OF DEER-STALKING. 159 



him on, though his knees bent under him, and his head 

 swam with the sustained exertion. The signal to halt 

 and reconnoitre was at the moment as gratifying an in- 

 timation as he could have received. Five hinds with 

 their calves, and two stags, were now distinctly visible 

 full eight hundred feet beneath them, as they stood or 

 rather lay perched upon the brink of a giddy precipice 

 which rose above the hollow. 'Well, Maccomlnch, 

 what is next to be done ? — must we climb the hill and 

 go round the scour ?' ' Ay, deed that ye must,' re- 

 sponded the forester. 'See,' continued he, throwing 

 some light particles of grass into the air, 'the wun's a 

 up the hill, and there's no a burn or corrie that'll hide 

 us. It's doon yon burn, below Craigcoirllichdhu, we 

 must go, and tak the hollow a' the way to thon bit 

 hillock, and then we'll at them easy ; they winna stir 

 the day anyhow, we're sure o' that.' As Duncan made 

 these observations he was cautiously retreating from the 

 brink of the rock from whence he had been observing 

 the deer, when all at once his person became fixed in 

 an attitude of eager attention, which might have sup- 

 plied the sculptor with an admirable study ; and strain- 

 ing his eyes towards the upper extent of the corrie, he 

 exclaimed in an earnest whisper, ' Oh, Grlenvallich ! 

 we're in luck the day ; there he is I there's the ver}^ stag 

 your honour was aftei the last time ye cam up ; him 

 that ye touched on the side, and we couldna' get sicht 

 o' again. I've seen him twice since yon, and a grand 

 one he is. Oh, Trochcodnilorst, but we'll hae you the 

 day, or the mischiefs in't. We must go clean round 

 the scour noo anyhow, for we'll hae to come down the 

 Glaig — noo you're on him.' This information set the 

 party into instant motion. Off they started in high 



