THE COUP D'ESSAI. 231 



rest of his litter ; nay, if he were slipped on the moor, he 

 would go back alone to the last deer that was killed, 

 although it were many miles distant, and protect it through 

 the night from the fox, the wild cat, the eagle, or the raven.* 



All now good-humouredly tried to make out the hind a 

 yeld one ; but it would not do ; she evidently gave suck, and 

 was also singularly lean. 



" Never mind, Lightfoot ; she richly deserved her fate ; 

 for it was a wicked deed to place herself where she did. So 

 pray be comforted." 



" No, no, it will not do. The Badenoch fairy's speech 

 rings in my ears, saying, or seeming to say, ' O Lightfoot, 

 Lightfoot, thou hast this day slain the only maid in Doune.' " 



" Never mind, these things occur to us all ; the hart had 

 a very narrow escape from your ball. You heard our friend 

 from the south brag the other day how nearly he had killed 

 a deer ; and when you asked him in what manner, he replied 

 that his ball struck the spot w r here the deer had been lying 

 the day before. You were much nearer than this, you 

 know. It was no bad shot after all, and will be of infinite 

 service to you as an instruction to take your aim forwarder 

 in future. I began my career nearly in the same way, and 

 learned a good lesson from it." 



" Then the first deer you killed was a hind ? Well, that's 

 .some comfort, however." 



" No, I mistake ; not the first. My coup d'essai was at 

 a hart. I set off from Blair Castle with the Duke of 

 Atholl for Forest Lodge at twenty minutes past three o'clock 

 in the morning. There were no deer feeding in the glen ; 

 so we breakfasted, and I began fishing for salmon. After 

 a time, whilst very intent on my cast, I heard a noise above 

 me, and, looking round, I saw a stag running at full speed 

 along the slope of the hill, with two lurchers at his heels. 

 Quickly did I clamber up the rocks. John Crerer was in 

 the road with a rifle ; and, as he was in the act of raising it 

 to his shoulder, in I came behind, took it from his hand, 

 fired, and hit the deer through the jaw. The poor chop- 

 fallen fellow then went to bay, where I finished him ; but, 



* A beautiful painting, by Mr. Edwin Landseer, of this sagacious dog, 

 thus engaged, will be in the recollection of many. 



