94 A WILD HUNTSMAN. 



able feat in the world, he could not forbear laughing out- 

 right. 



" Fine sport, sir," said the wild huntsman ; " glorious 

 sport ! but you finished it a little too soon ; I would 

 you had let me come at him again I would fain have 

 plucked the laurel." 



" I believe, sir, we are indebted to you for having pro- 

 tracted the good sport so long ; for owing to your very 

 valorous exertion we have pursued that noble fellow some 

 miles farther than we had calculated upon." 



" I am too happy, sir, to have been the means of 

 affording you any assistance. I am not a regularly trained 

 sportsman, whatever you may think ; but some encounters 

 of this sort have happened to me before ; so that, perhaps, 

 I may say, f Sono ancK io cacciatoreS " 



" You may say so, indeed, if it so pleases you." 



All were now intent upon the deer, which was a first- 

 rate one : he had few points to his horns, being one of 

 those originally marked out by the Stalkers as the fattest ; 

 he was beautifully cleaned, and all the operations being 

 carefully performed, Tortoise thought it high time to 

 satisfy his curiosity. He learned from the Sassenach that 

 he was an artist, and travelled over the country, making 

 sketches, with a light knapsack at his back ; he had come 

 that morning from Badenoch, and the Highlander before 

 mentioned was his guide. He was a man, factus ad 

 unguem, and a magnificent walker, and at once recognised 

 by the hill-men as the painter who came to Blair two 

 years before, and took Macintyre, with the Duke's per- 

 mission, as his guide to Bremar forest. Now, Macintyre 

 was one of the stoutest walkers in Atholl; no step was 



