858 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



Stuart, having refreshed himself and guarded against 

 death, a halt was called, and he was despatched to 

 the head of the quarry to glass the deer. He soon 

 returned, saying the great hart lay beneath a craig, 

 in an excellent position for the drive. A dangerous 

 thing, in my opinion, was then done ; taking every 

 precaution to sink the hill a little, we all passed to 

 windward of the corrie ; indeed, we could not gain 

 the passes up which the deer were expected to ascend, 

 without doing so. True ! we put the brow of the 

 mountain between us and the corrie ; true ! the stag 

 lay peril aps several hundred or a thousand feet below 

 on the other side of the mountain ; nevertheless, in 

 these Highland passes, deep corries and glens, the 

 wind, as if it was water, dips and twists in all manner 

 of eddies, and, whatever be the stalker's position above 

 or below the deer, if he is in the least degree to wind- 

 ward, he is never safe from detection and consequent 

 defeat. Having thus passed the corrie, and gained 

 a position better suited to the direction of the blast, 

 Lord Malmsbury having chosen the pass at which 

 he would stand, we drew lots for the others. I have 

 no luck, and never win a draw or toss ; so, what was 

 deemed by those who drew with me the most in- 

 eligible situation of course became mine. The moun- 

 tain's brow was left as my position, exposed to the 

 bitter wind and rain, without the vestige of a stone 

 large enough for shelter, with the space of two hours 

 to wait for the posting of the other guns before the 

 commencement of the drive. This time, however, ill 

 as the wind was, it brought me luck ; for, on the lower 

 and more sheltered passes being selected. Lord Malms- 

 bury, as well as John Stuart, told me that mine was 

 the likeliest post for a shot of all I did not mind 

 the weather then ! so, spreading my plaid to lie on, I 



