CH. X. HIGHLAND FORESTER. 153 



There is a constant succession of fine mountains 

 from Assynt down to near Dunrobin Castle, all fre- 

 quented more or less by deer ; and the gamekeeper 

 at the castle told me that they came down into the 

 woods close to his house, where, from good feeding 

 and quiet, they became very fine and fat, getting 

 into condition very early in the season. I have fre- 

 quently seen deer late in the evenings fight furi- 

 ously with their horns, till the noise of their antlers 

 striking against each other sounded far and wide. 

 The two hostile stags meet face to face, and, charg- 

 ing straight at each other like two rams, each 

 endeavoured to turn the flank of the other as if to 

 get a chance of goring him. The weakest, how- 

 ever, seemed always to have a prudent knowledge 

 of when he was overmatched, and, having leaped 

 quickly aside to avoid being gored, he generally 

 retreated without injury. Sometimes, when equally 

 matched, they fight together in this manner for a 

 long time, making a great rattling with their horns. 



Deer-stalking with the Sutherland Highlander 

 seems an almost invincible passion. His constant 

 thoughts and dreams are about the mountain corrie 

 and the stag : get him into conversation on any 

 subject, and by some means it invariably comes 

 round to deer and deer-stalking. He has stories 

 without end, handed down from father to son, of 



