EEMINISCENCES OP THE LEWS. 133 



the said loch and walk about under its bank — 

 depth varying from the ankle to over the waist 

 — not able to get out for hours or get our shot, 

 and it was not a warm day ; and then, when 

 we emerged from our pleasant hiding-place, 

 the animal had moved, and we had to follow 

 him to Larcastal ; and at last, after getting a 

 shot and killing your stag, you found him 

 worthless, his horns being rotten ? Do you 

 remember this, and then our walk down Ben- 

 more afterwards — for Fred had not then made 

 his road up its side — against time to reach our 

 boat before dark, and before the weather came 

 on too bad to cross Loch Seaforth, which it 

 was evidently fast doing, and our passage 

 across without M'Aulay, my gillie being a cur, 

 and yours not much better ? However, we 

 got back safe to the Aline diggings. And 

 then do you remember the long, long stalk 

 from Fordmore to close under Diensten bothy, 

 from morn till night, and the crossing that nice 

 long loch, half- swimming, half-wading, with 

 old Finlay M'Lean as our stalker, and lying 

 directly afterwards so comfortably for a couple 

 of hours under that stone, whence we could 

 not move ? And at last, getting close up to 

 the stag in the gloaming, and missing him as 

 clean as a riband, you dog, whereat I was 



