LEGEND OF ERASERS' CAIRN. 301 



lazily up Cairn-dairg-mor ; and there they stopped crown- 

 ing the hill, and looming large on the sky line. In such 

 vast numbers had they collected, that you might have 

 fancied yourself with Vaillant in the great hunting-grounds 

 of Africa. 



The hill-man to the west had shifted his position much 

 farther to that quarter ; and the men were so disposed, 

 that the deer were kept on the middle hill in a straight line 

 with Blair, with the stalkers in their rear. Thus all pro- 

 mised well hitherto. Tedious it would be to recount the 

 shift ings of the men, which kept the deer in the right 

 course. They were all similar to each other, and the 

 process was a very simple one. When the herd attempted 

 to swerve from the desired direction, the men, who were 

 far distant on the opposite hills, had little else to do than 

 to show themselves in a line, so as to oppose their passage, 

 dodging with them, and taking care not to hurry or press 

 upon them rashly. Had they come too near, the herd 

 would have swept past them in a moment. 



" We must now keep back," said Tortoise, " for the 

 deer are examining the ground on the west, and are in no 

 hurry to advance. During this slow operation, I may as 

 well give you the history of Fraser's Cairn, which we 

 passed the other night, when Peter was so valiant about 

 the laird's ghost." 



" Tradition informs us that Lord Fraser of Lovat made 

 a raid into the Atholl country, and harried it on his 

 return. This raid was of so ruthless a character that it 

 was probably executed in revenge for a similar irruption 

 made by the Atholl men on his own demesnes. On the 

 Lord of Lo vat's return with his plunder, one Donald Fraser, 



