170 UNEXPECTED SUCCESS. 



Soon they come to the great declivity, and look anxiously 

 to the opposite steeps of the Banavie. The deer were not 

 going up : they had them below them ; but the descent 

 was long, and they might still be baulked. Down down 

 they rush behind a ridge of ground, stooping and peeping 

 just to the north of the spot where the deer had passed. - 

 " And now they cannot escape us ; we must have them, 

 for good or for evil." 



The tops of their antlers were just in sight ; and down 

 dropped the men at once, motionless, in the heather. 



The deer now advanced through the burn: Tortoise 

 singled out the best harts, keeping his eye steadily upon 

 them, and marking their precise course; but, as yet, 

 moved not his rifle. They dashed, and splashed, and 

 shifted places in such a manner, that he judged it most 

 prudent to wait till they were ascending the steep. He 

 then had nearly their whole backs presented to his aim. 

 When they were in this position, up at once he sprung, 

 and discharged his three rifles in succession. 



At the first shot a magnificent hart sunk down upon 

 his hind quarters, staggered, and rolled back lifeless into 

 the burn : the ball of the second rifle passed down through 

 the shoulders of another splendid fellow ; he fell forward, 

 and was instantly dead. The last shot was fired too high, 

 and only cracked against a stag's horn, which stunned him 

 for a moment, but he soon recovered, and went off with 

 the rest as well as ever. 



Nothing could surpass the joy of the party at this 

 almost unhoped-for success ; they canvassed the thing over 

 and over again. It was a wonderful distance to come in 

 from ; they never ran so well in all their lives ; in short, 



