A DEER-HOUND SLIPPED. 89 



join them more. Never again shall you roam with them 

 over the grey mountains never more brave the storm to- 

 gether sun your red flanks in the corrie or go panting 

 down to your wonted streams; 'brief has been your dwell- 

 ing on the moor !' 



" And now I am resolutely determined never to fire at a 

 deer again no, never whilst I live. It is a barbarous and 

 inhuman practice ; the act of a savage, and ought to be 

 punished by branding, hanging, or at least by transporta- 

 tion for life. There (flings down his rifle) lie there, 

 thou villain ! ' hie cestus artemque repono? " 



" They're a' ganging right, yer Honour, and we shall have 

 them again beyond Cairn Dairg Moor." 



" By Jupiter ! so we shall, Peter. Here, give me my rifle, 

 most humane of men, and I will aye make a clean shot in 

 future." 



" And I have seen you mak' clean shots half through the 

 season ; but the wee bit ball will whiles tak' his ain course ; 

 naething mair wilfu'." 



" Now then, Peter, take Percy, and get the wounded hart to 

 bay : a fine fellow he is. I need not caution you to pass the 

 scent of the herd before you lay him on. There is no hurry. 

 In the mean time I will load my rifle myself, and then, 

 Peter (you ken what I mean), we shall have no more broken 

 ramrods." 



" Did I brak a ramrod since last Tuesday ?" 



" Indeed you did not, my good fellow ; you only rendered 

 a powder-horn unfit for service ; but I would rather have 

 my ramrods broken daily, in the excitement and hurry of 

 the moment by a dear lover of the sport like you, than 

 have my rifles loaded carefully, slowly, and mechanically, 

 by a tame and lukewarm sportsman. Here, take a glass of 

 whiskey, Peter. 



" Now, Lightfoot, we will wait here till we see the dog 

 laid on. I am vain, you know, of my hounds, and Percy is 

 one of my best. You see what a pace Peter is going with 

 my favourite in the leash pulling him onward all the way ; 

 now they are dashing through the stream now he breasts 

 the hill, and has passed the track of the herd, and is trying to 

 find the slot of the wounded deer he has it ! Percy scents 

 7 



