CAUTIOUS EXPLORING. 217 



of no service to the drive, were suffered to go into Glen 

 Dirie. 



The party, now having ascended to the summit of Coir- 

 na-miseach, crept forward cautiously behind a ridge of 

 ground, and got a view of that immense basin called the 

 Culreach. Instantly, as they looked below, there was a 

 whisper of caution ; they crawled back on their hands and 

 knees, sunk the hill again, and posted themselves on safe 

 ground. They had seen the deer, which were scattered up 

 and down the hill sides, some grazing, others basking in 

 the morning sunbeam, fat and lazy, whilst the jealous 

 hinds were so disposed as to prevent any sudden inroad 

 upon their position. Some of them kept to the wind, and 

 others were continually looking towards those points from 

 which they could not profit by it. 



Jamieson now went back to take a minute inspection of 

 the whole herd. He soon returned with an expression of 

 eager excitement, " There are several good harts," he 

 said, " in the herd on the eastern face of the hill ; but," 

 added he, " there is a small parcel below us, and, as sure 

 us deid, the great Braemar hart is among them there is 

 him and a small hart and five hinds a' the gither, and I'm 

 thinking that he is so high up on the face o' the hill, that 

 he may be pit over, and ye may hae a chance at him at 

 last." 



" Capital news, Thomas, and a glorious thing it will be 

 if it should turn out so, for he is a hart of a thousand ; but 

 are you sure it is the muckle deer after all ? The Brae- 

 mar hart, who has foiled us twice, has a very sleek body 

 with high horns, not widely spread, and only eight points. 

 You should know him well are you sure it is him ? " 



