FEALAR 287 



these spots proved to be six hinds, all lying chewing 

 the cud, with heads facing downhill. My position 

 was somewhat exposed, but I knew I should be 

 able to crawl past them if they did not rise. Leaving 

 Willie Milburn, the shepherd boy, with orders not 

 to move until he heard a shot, I now crawled for- 

 ward for two or three hundred yards, and saw in 

 front a low heather ridge which I felt sure would 

 be within shot of my deer if they had not moved 

 on over the top. The hinds below were quite quiet, 

 so I soon passed them easily, and gradually wormed 

 my way up to the coveted point. Looking over 

 the top with rifle in position I saw all the hinds 

 within eighty yards and looking straight at me. 

 The stag's head only showed over the top of some 

 rocks to the left, and seeing they were certain to bolt, 

 I took a careful shot at him and missed. As good 

 luck would have it he galloped straight uphill, 

 giving me a second shot, when I planted a bullet 

 just in the right place, and the noble beast fell to 

 rise no more. That is always a moment of ex- 

 pectancy when we walk up to a fallen stag which 

 we know carries a good head. Is it going to be as 

 good or even better than we expect? Generally 

 some failure in the points detracts from the coveted 

 royal and we have only got a good ten- or eleven- 

 pointer. Now, as I stood over the fallen beast, 

 I realised I had killed a royal, and a good one too, 

 with nice thick horns 33J inches long, and excellent 

 back tops, all of which means so much in the shape 

 of a head. 



Willie and I dragged the stag down to the burn, 

 where the pony could easily load it. Here I 

 gralloched it, had lunch and crossed into Glen 



