360 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



day after this hardened declaration he was out as 

 usual tending the sheep, and narrowly scanning every 

 spot that might contain a stag. The day was gloomy, 

 gusts of wind seemed to come from all quarters of 

 the sky, and the voices of tempests were heard roaring 

 through the distant corries, though their force was 

 not felt in the vicinity of this daring man. " Hoot," 

 he cried, as the wind whistled among the craigs of 

 " Corrie Glass ; the mountain maks a din as if for 

 a drap o' whuskey." VieW ! the day wore on witliout 

 his seeing a deer, when, suddenlj^, in a dell situated con- 

 veniently for a stalk, and not more than two hundred 

 yards from him, he beheld a miglity stag ; he was feed- 

 ing quietly, and there was yet light enough to discern 

 that on one horn he numbered fourteen points, while 

 the other was but one tall straight shank, with a brow 

 antler, like the heads of the deer of " Knoidart." 

 Strange sight as this was, it only added to the shep- 

 herd's desire to kill the deer; so, pulling forth his 

 gun, he put it togetlier, and, creeping on his hands 

 and knees, soon reached a small knoll, on the other 

 side of which, and within ten yards of it, he knew 

 the stag to be feeding. Peering through the heather, 

 the extraordinary horns, still at their feed, appeared 

 close to him ; so, raising himself gently on one knee, 

 he aimed his gun, and was about to fire, but, scarcely 

 had his finger begun to feel for the trigger, when up 

 went the head of the stag, the eyes bent full on him, 

 but, ere he could discharge his gun, to his horror 

 instead of at a deer he found himself aiming at the 

 heart of a tall dark man, with flames playing about 

 his head, who, clenching his fist in a threatening atti- 

 tude, dared him to fire. Down went the shepherd 

 in a swoon ; when he came to himself he found his 



