HEED IN JEOPARDY. 255 



side of the deer, the latter began to draw forward a little, 

 but soon halted, as if to ascertain whether a retreat was 

 absolutely necessary ; having at length judged it to be so, 

 they moved on leisurely with a few hinds in front to a 

 notch in the hill, where the ascent was the least fatiguing 

 to them ; the hinds sank into this hollow, went forward up 

 it, and were lost sight of in a few moments. The rest of 

 the herd followed them ; the sportsmen then rose up warily, 

 and got forward also by a semicircular movement, running 

 under cover of rocks and moss-hags, with sufficient rapidity 

 to bring them within distance as the deer crossed in front 

 of them. 



They arrived just in the nick of time, and found them- 

 selves about a hundred yards from the herd as it swept by. 

 The bodies of the harts were a fair and inviting mark, 

 though their legs were hid, the selection was promptly 

 made, and two first-rate stags fell dead upon the spot ; the 

 third ball also had evidently hit the mark. Away ran 

 Peter Fraser, whilst Jamieson loaded the rifles, and just 

 glancing at the two victims as he passed them, peeped over 

 the next ridge of the hill, when he suddenly tossed his arms 

 aloft, like Gilpin Horner, and pranced forward to a third 

 deer which lay dead beyond him. 



It takes up a considerable time to clean three deer and 

 prepare them properly, so that during this operation the 

 herd had leisure and opportunity to get forward and select 

 their own ground, which they did, by going into Glen 

 Dirie, and moving along the steep stony tracks on the 

 western face of Ben-y-venie. 



" Here, Sandy, another glass of Loch Rannoch, the Doch- 

 an-dorroch, ye ken ; off with it. So now go up Ben-y-chait, 

 taking care to cross the glen out of sight of the deer, and 

 to keep them from the west. We will go forward right up 

 Ben-y-venie." 



Sandy Macintosh was a capital fellow of the antelope 

 sort, and put out his long legs nimbly, so that he was 

 quickly on his ground, as also was the rifleman. The deer 

 were soon discovered winding among the crags below ; and 

 keen Sandy was so alert and judicious in his motions, that 

 he kept them on that precipitous side of the mountain. 



