DEEU-STALKING. 167 



thing pass, that makes rather for me than for you, put your cap on 

 the muzzle of your rifle thus ; I will do the same. Good luck to 

 you, and hold straight/ 



" The loss of half an hour, and some trial of patience, was the 

 sole result of this arrangement. One or two roes passed the sports- 

 men, and several blackcock, the sight of which tempted Tresham 

 sorely to exercise his skill at a flying shot ; but if there were any 

 deer in the wood, they took other passes than those watched by the 

 two gentlemen. The forester now came up, and Glenvallich in- 

 formed him of the stag and hinds he had seen. The methods of 

 best approaching them unobserved were eagerly discussed; and 

 having decided that it was at all events advisable to reconnoitre 

 them from a shoulder of the hill above them, the party set their 

 faces boldly to the brae, and began to breast it straight up. _ And 

 now once more was Tresham made sensible of liis own deficiency, 

 and of the superior vigour of his companions ; pride and ' pluck,' 

 however, bore on him, though his knees bent under him, and liis 

 head swam, with the sustained exertion. _ The signal to halt and 

 reconnoitre was at the moment as gratifying an intimation as he 

 could have received. Eive hinds with their calves, and two stags, 

 were now distinctly visil^le, full eidit hundred feet beneath them, 

 as they stood, or rather lay, perched upon the brink of a giddy pre- 

 cipice wliich rose above the hollow. _' Well, Maccombich, what's 

 next to be done ? must we climb the hill and go round the scour?' 

 — ' Ay, 'deed, that ye most,' responded the forester. * See,' con- 

 tinued he, throwing some Hght particles of grass into the air, ' the 

 wun's a' up the hill, and there's no a burn or corry that '11 liide us. 

 It's doon yon burn, below Craigcaillichdhu, we must go, and tak' 

 the hollow a' the way to thon bit hiUock, and then we'll at them 

 easy : they wiima stir the day, any how — 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 aU. at once his person became fixed in an attitude of eager 

 attention, which might have supplied the sculptor with an admi- 

 rable study ; and straining his eyes towards the upper extent of the 

 corry, he exclaimed, in an earnest whisper, ' GlenvaUich ! we're 

 in luck the day ! there he is ! there's the very staig your honour was 

 ifter the last time he cam' up ; him that ye touched on the side, an' 

 we could na get sight o' agam. I've seen him twice since yon, and 

 a grand one he is. O Trochconuilorst ! but we'U have you the day, 

 or the mischief's in't ; we must go clean_ round the scour noo, any 

 how, for we'll hae to come down the Glaig-na-ga^vr on him.' This 

 information set the party into instant motion. Off they started in 

 high spirits, leaving Kenneth to watch the deer below them, lest 

 any accident shoulcl startle them, or lest they should feed away 

 from the spot. 



- " The ascent proved most arduous, for they had to pass round 

 the peak of one of the loftiest mountains in Scotland, at a height 

 scarcely two hundi'cd feet below the summit. Tresham was once 



