72 A HERD DISCOVERED. 



Fraser, who crept forward on their hands and knees 

 without their caps, and then extended themselves on the 

 ground, resting their glasses on the little eminence in front 

 of them : these they moved slowly and steadily to all the 

 favourite spots. 



" Nae thing can I see forebye a few hinds on the 

 Craggan-breach. Surely the glen can no want for harts ?" 



" Fortune forbid, Peter ; but I fear it does, unless they 

 are lying further on, There is a great deal of ground 

 which we cannot see from hence, you know." 



Fraser now looked intently for a long while at the same 

 spot, and would pay no heed to any thing that was said to 

 him. But when at length he turned back his head, there 

 was such a relaxing smile on his face, as made it perfectly 

 beautiful to a sportsman. These, indeed, were Peter's 

 handsome moments, illuminations that shot across his 

 countenance like the sun-gleam on the moor. 



" Now, where are they, Peter ? for I see you have found 

 them at last. Your eyes are ever the best." 



" Creep back, low, low. They are lying in yon 

 corrie, rather high up. Hey, what fine harts ! Ane, twa, 

 three, four ; there are eight a'-the-gither ; twa of them are 

 royal, and twa mair there are wi' wide heads and few 

 branches, and these, I ken, are the fattest and bonniest of 

 the lot : haud weel to them, Sir, if you have a chance." 



e( Never fear. Ah, now I see them. You said nothing 

 about the hinds, whereof there are several ; and one nasty, 

 lop-eared imp there is, some way to the south before the 

 rest ; and if we are foiled, as I fear we shall be, this beast 

 will do it, for she was born for mischief. 



" Hist, hist ! Maclaren, come you here. Take the glass 



