92 THE BAY BROKEN. 



the chase, and its customs, and its laws, were so well re- 

 cognised and understood, could it have been believed, I 

 say, that a mortal could be found so rash as to constitute 

 himself the lord of the chase, setting aside the laws of the 

 Medes and Persians ? Yet there figured such a monument 

 of audacity. He seemed to be a young man : certainly 

 he had all the vigour and activity of youth. He shouted 

 with all his might, rushed into the water, assailed the deer 

 with stones, and tried to get in upon him and fell him 

 with a sort of bludgeon which he brandished. A kilted 

 Highlander was running towards him, and, as it seemed, 

 endeavouring to call him off: then came forth a general 

 shout of invective from all the party as they ran for- 

 ward. High above the rest rose the guttural sounds of 

 the iracund forester. 



In the midst of this tumult the hart broke bay, laboured 

 out from the Tilt, and went heavily along through the 

 birchen grove, being evidently much exhausted. Percy 

 followed close upon his traces ; then came the wild hunts- 

 man with whoop and halloo, dashing over knoll and rock, 

 through bog and through burn, till he fairly vanished from 

 the view. 



" Contremuit nemus, et silvse intonuere profundae." 



" The mon's dementit. But sure its na mon, ava' : its 

 joost the kelpie ; him that left the print of his fut on the 

 muckle stane up bye forenent the Tilt, where he grapt the 

 deer ; and the deer's fut is there, too, ye'll ha' seen it 

 yoursel, sir." * 



* These impressions actually exist at present, quite perfect, in the 

 place alluded to. 



