CORRIE'S SAGACITY. 295 



were unequal, he was sometimes exposed for a moment. 

 Both sportsmen suddenly clapped up the rifles to their 

 shoulders : the point was too nice a one for ceremony. 

 The fatal sound of Lightfoot's was first borne along the 

 moor fatal did I say ? fatal to what ? Alas, to the hind 

 that was coming up in the rear of the hart ; down she 

 dropped, and her maternal cares ceased for ever. In the 

 mean time Tortoise kept holding pertinaciously where the 

 hart was, keeping his gun well forward ; half of him at 

 length was clear, the trigger was instantly pulled, and the 

 ball took effect; but the wounded stag went on behind 

 the others, and the men couched down upon the heather 

 blossom. 



And now happened one of those untoward accidents 

 that will sometimes occur in spite of ordinary precaution. 

 The dogs had been brought forward for the stricken deer ; 

 and Corrie, who had a small greyhound-like head, slipped 

 himself from the leash, and away he went on the traces 

 of the deer. Nothing could be more agonising, for there 

 was every probability that he would put the main herd 

 out of the cast, and disappoint all the parties at the wood 

 But come what might, the keen hound was gone forth, 

 and no earthly power could arrest him. 



The small parcel that had been fired at joined the 

 great herd, full in Corrie's view ; and all disappeared for 

 a while in the hollow of a deep ravine, with the dog at 

 their traces. But they soon reappeared on the opposite 

 brae, Corrie being still close upon them : every man was 

 absolutely in despair. He forced them into a compact 

 mass, ran furiously at their rear, then to one flank and 

 then to the other ; and ever as he came on, the outward 



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