EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 69 



dicrous inquiry. A red (Lewisian for chestnut) 

 horse was found dead in a peat-hole some- 

 where under Stachshal Hill, on the Soval 

 ground. R. M. and I had been stalking there, 

 and upon it found a good stag, which he unac- 

 countably missed with both barrels. The dead 

 horse being also found, as I said, in this locality, 

 the lamb story was revived, and our friend, 

 after he had left the island, got the credit of 

 having potted the horse. Of course, the story 

 grew into a good one, and I was one of the last 

 to hear it ; but when all but legal proceedings 

 were about being instituted, I was enabled to 

 say that I had watched the latter part of the 

 stalk with my " prospect," the ground being 

 too ticklish for more than the stalker ; that I 

 had seen both the stag and the red horse, who 

 were in opposite directions ; and that unless 

 bullets, without a ricochet, flew backwards, 

 neither of the two could have touched the horse. 

 This sufficed for the legal question, but to this 

 day the Lews gives R. M. the credit of missing 

 the stag and killing the horse. However, not- 

 withstanding all these little misadventures, few 

 men would have beaten him as a stalker, for he 

 was not to be tired or turned by difficulties ; 

 and as he grew older, and more up to his work,, 

 he became steadier, and was no mere poodle 



