DEER STALKED WHILE FIGHTING. 35 



open to me ; this was to get into the glen to their right 

 when I should be entirely hidden from their view, and 

 then come up, concealed by the hill, as nearly opposite to 

 them as possible. I was certainly a very considerable dis- 

 tance to the north of them ; but my position was so bad 

 that I looked upon my chance as a mere nothing. I lay 

 down, however, flat on my back, amongst the rugged and 

 loose stones of Cairn-marnac, with a rifle in my hand ; 

 Thomas Jamieson, with the other rifles, placed himself be- 

 hind me in the same comfortable position. We had a full 

 view of the deer for some time, so that with their ordinary 

 vigilance they would undoubtedly have seen us ; the stones, 

 however, formed an uneven outline, which was in our favour, 

 and thus w r e did not absolutely attract their notice. Whilst 

 the stags w r ere fiercely engaged, we worked our way down 

 on our backs, looking askance; when they rested for a 

 space, and sometimes they would do so on their knees, 

 from mere exhaustion, we moved not a limb : and in this 

 manner we wormed ourselves gradually into the glen, not 

 without certain uncomfortable bruises. Then, being out of 

 sight we sprang up, and made the best of our way to the 

 point immediately below them ; and moving cautiously up 

 the hill, which w r as sufficiently steep for our purpose, we 

 came all at once in full view of one of the combatants, who 

 was then alone ; he sprang off' at full speed, but all too late 

 for his escape, for my ball struck him dead on the spot. 

 His antagonist, I imagine, had been beaten off. I expected 

 to have killed them both. 



A conflict of this savage nature, which happened in one 

 of the Duke of Gordon's forests, was fatal to both of the com- 

 batants. Two large harts, after a furious and deadly thrust, 

 had entangled their horns so firmly together that they were 

 inextricable, and the victor remained with the vanquished. 

 In this situation they were discovered by the forester, who 

 killed the survivor, whilst he was yet struggling to release 

 himself from his dead antagonist. The horns remain at 

 Gordon Castle, still locked together as they were found. 

 Mezentius himself never attached the dead body to the 

 living one in a firmer manner. 



A hart will rut for about a week, after which period he 



