THE PRODIGAL STAG 67 



PART II. FOUND 



" My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here, 

 My heart's in the Highlands a chasing the deer, 

 A chasing the wild deer and following the roe, 

 My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go." 



Old Song. 



Four weeks later I returned to the forest, 

 and though I little deserved it after my late 

 escapade, once more I was sent out on the 

 same beat to try and retrieve my luck, again 

 with Donald and the same ghillie. 



To all my searching inquiries as to whether 

 anything had ever been seen of the wounded 

 stag the stalker sorrowfully shook his head. 

 Neither he nor any of the men on the other 

 beats had ever set eyes on him far or near. 

 If the earth had swallowed him up he could 

 not have more completely disappeared. 

 Donald knew him well, twice he had been 

 after him the year before, and each time the 

 beast had got away unscathed by two respect- 

 ive rifles. He was besides one of his winter 

 pets who came to the feeding. A nice head 

 of ten points he had too. Donald declared 



