240 A QUIET SHOT. 



laboured and floundered, and was at length seized, all 

 breathless and exhausted. 



"Why, how dare the like of ye to come intill his 

 Grace's forest, and steal his deer ; ye shall pay the la win, 

 mon?" 



" Houte-toute ! I'm na thief ava'; it's joostfor my ain 

 diversion ; but ye hae bin owr muckle wi' the Southrons ; 

 and the like o' thae chiels aye ca' liftin, stealing." 



" I think I ha' heard that afore," says Donald. " What ! 

 my friend the Gown-cromb of Badenoch? will no the 

 Lias-mor, or great Garden o' Eden content the mon? 

 must he come staukin, and felling the deer in the braes 

 o' Atholl?" 



The notorious blacksmith was soon taken down to Glen 

 Tilt, and brought in presence of the Duke of Atholl: 

 after a sharp remonstrance, his Grace asked him whether 

 he would go to Perth gaol for three months, or stand a 

 shot from his rifle at a hundred paces. 



The man said he would stand the shot. 



"Very well; John Crerar, step out a hundred yards." 



The ground was measured. 



"Now post the man with his front right towards me 

 and give me my best rifle, John." 



The gun was given, and raised slowly, whilst the hill- 

 men stood by in a group in breathless suspense; the 

 direction of their eyes changing alternately from his Grace 

 to the man. A long and steady aim was taken it was 

 an awful moment, but the blacksmith neither flinched 

 nor stirred ; at length the cap of the rifle only exploded. 



"Pshaw! Give me another rifle, John, and take care 

 that it be better loaded." 



