FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS. IX 



time, and to describe all the various turns and accidents of 

 the chase drawn from actual experience. This, I thought, 

 could be best done by the recital of moderate sport, since 

 a long catalogue of deer, killed in succession on the same 

 day, unaccompanied by some striking or unusual incident, 

 would only be a tedious repetition of events similar to 

 each other. In practice, however, I did my best, as fine 

 venison was always in request. If my success was occa- 

 sionally very considerable, it must be recollected that the 

 deer were numerous, and that I was assisted by clever 

 scouts. The being my own stalker, also, was an advantage 

 that long practice enabled me to profit from: no one, I 

 think, can make the best of events when his movements 

 are controlled by others, and are a mystery to himself. 



When the Duke of Atholl left off shooting for the 

 season, I generally took out Peter Fraser with me, who 

 was then at liberty. He is a very clever fellow in his 

 way, possessing great strength and good wind ; and I have 

 particularly chosen to describe the sport of those days on 

 which he accompanied me, because my friend Peter has a 

 good deal of character about him, and is in a regular 

 descent of servitude to the house of Atholl, and an in- 

 habitant of the country. But usually Thomas Jamieson 

 and Peter Maclaren, both very active men, zealous and 

 skilful in the ways of the deer, were my head men: 

 Jamieson attending on me whilst Maclaren was ma- 

 no3uvring. Charlie Crerar at that time presided over the 

 grouse moors : he is now the head forester in Atholl, and 

 well deserves to be so. Charlie and myself, however, 

 have had some good days together in bygone times. 



To the courtesy of the noblemen and gentlemen pro- 



