COMBAT OF STAGS. 171 



upon a projecting crag, swelling, jutting out his neck, and 

 drawing himself up to his full proportions. Having now 

 screwed up his courage to the sticking-place, he turns aside, 

 and winds down the moss, bellowing and tossing abroad 

 the heather with his antlers, his wrath seeming to increase 

 as he moves onwards ; his dauntless adversary sends back a 

 loud defiance, and rushes forth to meet him in fair combat. 

 The hinds wheel their ranks, and stand, with curious gaze 

 and erect ears, to witness the joust, and now the com- 

 batants meet brow to brow, butting and goring each other 

 with great fury, till at length their antlers are fairly locked 

 together. After some violent struggles they extricate 

 themselves ; and, being well matched, and quite exhausted, 

 both sink upon their knees, and rest a space in that posture, 

 still antler to antler. Somewhat revived by this brief cess- 

 ation, they set to again, till the intruder, being at length 

 forced backwards to the edge of a precipice, and feeling 

 himself worsted, turns quickly aside, and fairly takes to 

 flight, but runs in circles round the hinds, as reluctant to 

 leave them. The victor follows close at his heels, goring 

 him in the haunches ; ever as he is touched he starts aside, 

 till at length, beaten and jaded, he fairly gives up the con- 

 test, and gallops away, still hotly pursued. 



Whilst this chase after the fugitive was continuing, in 

 comes another hart from the opposite quarter ; but no sooner 

 had the victor heard his bellowing, than he returned to 

 secure his hinds, and quickly drove this gay gentleman 

 away, who took to his heels incontinently, being a beast of 

 no mark or likelihood.* 



After this amusing spectacle was over, these deer, being 

 of no service to the drive, were suffered to go into Glen 

 Dirie. 



The party, now having ascended to the summit of Coir- 

 na-miseach, crept forward cautiously behind a ridge of 

 ground, and got a view of that immense basin called the 

 Culreach. Instantly, as they looked below, there was a 

 whisper of caution ; they crawled back on their hands and 



* This law of detur fortiori" is an admirable provision of nature for keep- 

 ing the stock from degenerating. 



