THE SLAUGHTER. 227 



grammarian has it, somewhat promiscuously ; and the old 

 sportsmen also did considerable execution, selecting their 

 harts with great tact. Moreover there were slain three 

 hinds, that nobody would own to, and an exceedingly 

 promising young fawn repudiated also by all. * The 

 French Count whom we noticed on the mountains, dis- 

 tinguished himself in his own particular manner ; but his 

 high achievements well merit a separate history ; and that 

 they shall have. 



And now let us go back to Tortoise, and see if he was 

 idle all this time. No, not so ; for a few harts and hinds 

 broke over to the west, and as the general sport was 

 already secured, he used his pleasure with them. He had 

 only two rifles, the third having been given to Jamieson 

 to kill the deer at bay ; he came well into them, and, at 

 the first shot, slew a noble hart ; but there was another in 

 the parcel still superior, which had been running on the 

 opposite side : as the men got forward, the little herd came 

 sweeping round over the open ground, towards Clashtyne, 

 describing the segment of a circle. 



" Lord ! Lord ! that black deer f : hey, what a deer ! 

 There, there, that black deer ! On, he is ower far." 



The words where scarcely out of Peter Fraser's mouth, 

 ere the shot resounded through the hills. The hart was 

 running swiftly, at about one hundred and fifty yards' 

 distance, or " by 'r Lady," somewhat more, but quite clear, 



* It was considered a disgrace, as has been elsewhere intimated, to 

 kill hinds and fawns ; a stranger, not aware of this, wrote to thank the 

 late Duke of Gordon for a day's deer-shooting in Gawick ; intimating 

 how happy his Grace would be to hear of his success, for that he had 

 wounded a hind, and killed an exceedingly promising young fawn. 



f Black from rolling in the mire. 



Q 2 



