DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



trolling for the great water-bull of yore, when they baited 

 with a sheep's head. My advice comes somewhat late, to 

 be sure ; but it may be of service to you hereafter. 



" But you really came too late into the world, sir, and; 

 should rather have flourished in the time of the Lapithse 

 I am convinced you would have been as wonderful as the 

 best of them, at least the poets would have made you so, 

 which, when a man is dead, you know, is the same thing ; 

 and, indeed, had you to-day advanced much closer in the 

 combat with this dun beast, you might by this time have 

 been a ghost, and taken your rank amongst the shades of 

 Ossian's heroes. His horns stab fiercely, and when attacked 

 he is altogether very redoubtable. 



" Still I do homage to your wonderful activity, as well 

 as to your gallant bearing : overtake you \ve could not, 

 practised and trained as we are ; though this may be in 

 some measure accounted for from our previous exertions 

 the extent of w T hich you will comprehend when I tell you 

 that we brought this stag from yon mountain top, which 

 you see melting into air in the extreme distance and that 

 from the said point to the place where we now stand, we 

 have pulled up but twice, and that but for a brief space. 

 We have had some sharp bursts, I promise you, which you 

 have been pleased to extend : my friend, whom you see 

 coming up, will bear witness to this. But really, now all 

 is well over, I am much gratified at the pleasure you have 

 received. We do not see such sets-to every day." 



The wounded stag had by this awkward encounter taken 

 the deer-stalkers so far out of their cast, that the day's 

 sport was considered as ended. So the whiskey- bottle went 

 round, and all were gossipping together like brothers. 



The Highlander was a well-known good companion, 

 pretty considerably addicted to poaching, like many of his 

 compeers ; but in this instance he well knew that he could 

 not appropriate the deer, and that the rifleman must be in 

 pursuit, so that he would willingly have stopped the 

 stranger, had it been in his power to overtake him. 



There was a great deal of merriment between the Atholl 

 men and this Highlander, who was the Gown-cromb, or 

 blacksmith, of some village in Badenoch. He was taxed, 



