104 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



" I must now tell you of an adventure that happened to 

 Mr. Macpherson of Braekally, when he had the charge of 

 the forest of Benalder. He sallied forth one morning, as 

 he was wont, in quest of venison, accompanied by his 

 servant. In the course of their travel they found a wolf- 

 den (a wolf being at that time by no means a rarity in the 

 forest). Macpherson asked his servant whether he would 

 prefer going into the den to destroy the cubs, or remain 

 outside and guard against the approach of the old ones. 

 The servant preferring an uncertain to a certain danger, 

 said he would remain without ; but here Sandy had mis- 

 calculated, for, to his great dismay, the dam came raging to 

 the mouth of the cave ; which, no sooner did he see, than 

 he took to his heels incontinently, without even warning 

 his master of the danger. Macpherson, however, being an 

 active, resolute man, and expert at his weapons, succeeded 

 in killing the old wolf as well as the cubs ; and in coming 

 out of the den espied his servant about a mile off, to whom 

 he beckoned ; and, with scarcely a remark upon his cowardly 

 conduct, told him, that as it was now late, he intended to 

 remain that night in a bothy at Dalenluncart, a little dis- 

 tance off. They accordingly proceeded to this bothy, and it 

 was quite dark by the time they reached it. 



" Macpherson, on putting his hand on the bed to procure 

 dry heather for lighting a pipe, discovered a dead body ; 

 and without taking any notice of the circumstance, merely 

 remarked, ' I don't like this bothy ; we will proceed to 

 Callaig, about a mile off, where we shall be better accom- 

 modated.' They accordingly went to this other bothy ; and 

 on arriving there, Macpherson pretended that he had left 

 his powder-horn in the bothy they had just quitted, and 

 desired his servant to go after it, telling him that he would 

 find it upon the bed. The servant did as he was desired ; 

 but instead of finding the powder-horn, he placed his hand 

 upon the dead man ; which, to one of his poor nerves, was 

 a terrible shock. He then hurried back in great agitation ; 

 and, on reaching the other bothy, found it, to his great 

 dismay, dark and deserted, his master having set off home- 

 wards so soon as he had started for the powder-horn. 

 Terrified beyond measure at this second event, he proceeded 



