CHAPTER VIII. 



DEER-STALKING. 



THEEE is not a more exciting amusement than that 

 of deer- stalking when followed in orthodox style. 

 Then the sportsman must disregard toil and trouble, 

 must possess skill and patience, be able to endure a 

 vast amount of fatigue, and, lastly, he must be 

 endowed with strong nerve, if he desire to bring 

 down a big stag after a long and exciting stalk. A 

 far different thing is a deer-drive : then, planted in 

 a favourable position, the shooter I cannot call him 

 sportsman may kill these noble animals without toil 

 or trouble, skill or fatigue. This would to me be 

 but a sorry representation of sport, and bears no 

 comparison with the delight of trudging over the wild 

 moorland, over the rugged hills, along the course of 

 the brawling burn, in the endeavour to get within 

 gunshot of the wary and crafty red-deer. 



In order to show what value attaches to this 

 description of sport, it is only necessary to point to 

 the high prices which are paid for the so-called 

 deer-forests. For instance, in Inverness-shire the 

 large sum of 496 OZ. is paid for the privilege of 

 enjoying the season's sport ; whilst others are rented 



