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shepherds in Gaig for many years ; and they had taken a 

 fawn*, which they tamed, and brought up with two milch 

 cows that were pastured in Gaig all the summer ; and at 

 the time I am now treating of, this pet hart was five years 

 old. He was taken to the low farm during winter and 

 spring, and generally lodged every night in the barn ; they 

 fed him upon oats, hay, barley, or peas in the straw, of 

 which latter provender he was extravagantly fond. By 

 these means he became enormously fat, and of a towering 

 size, so that he probably exceeded in weight any hart in the 

 forest of Atholl. Now Peter Breck was mindful of this 

 bonny beast, and had often turned the tail of his eye upon 

 him ; but his virtue, or, it may be, the manner in which 

 the animal was guarded, had hitherto borne him out against 

 all temptations. That virtue, however, so impregnable 

 when little was to be gained, began to succumb before the 

 promised reward. Great allowances must be made for 

 our friend Breck's backsliding, for lifting was not quite 

 disgraceful in those days ; besides the animal was fat, stu- 

 pendous in size, and, in short, altogether undeniable. So 

 Peter took his sheltie and attendant, slunk away cannily 

 in the gloaming, proceeded up Glenbruar, and arrived, at 

 the grey dawn of day, at the shepherd's lodge at Gaig. 

 He had previously left his attendant and his horse and 

 gun a considerable distance above the lodge, at a place 

 called Gargaig. He soon roused the shepherds from their 

 slumbers, and, pretending to be very drunk, laid himself 

 down upon one of the beds they had quitted. This was 

 all very natural, for Peter had no great character for so- 



* Calf is the proper term, but both are used. 



