THE FATAL SPOT REACHED. 329 



No sooner had the signal been observed by Maclaren, 

 who it will be recollected was on the opposite mountain, 

 than he rose up and came forward in the direction of the 

 herd; as he advanced slowly, the hind stood up, and the 

 horns of the stags below her began to appear to the sports- 

 men one after the other, and presented a most tantalising 

 spectacle. These fine fellows were at a very considerable 

 distance, but the rifleman completely commanded their 

 position. 



After a little shifting and advancing on the part of 

 Maclaren, and continued gazing and observation on the 

 side of the deer, the latter began to draw forward a little, 

 but soon halted, as if to ascertain whether a retreat was 

 absolutely necessary ; having at length judged it to be so, 

 they moved on leisurely with a few hinds in front to a 

 notch in the hill, where the ascent was the least fatiguing 

 to them ; the hinds sank into this hollow, went forward up 

 it, and were lost sight of in a few moments. 



The rest of the herd followed them ; the sportsmen then 

 rose up warily, and got forward also by a semicircular 

 movement, running under cover of rocks and moss-hags, 

 with sufficient rapidity to bring them within distance as 

 the deer crossed in front of them. 



They arrived just in the nick of time, and found them- 

 selves about a hundred yards from the herd as it swept by. 

 The bodies of the harts were a fair and inviting mark, 

 though their legs were hid, the selection was promptly 

 made, and two first-rate stags fell dead upon the spot; the 

 third ball also had evidently hit the mark. Away ran 

 Peter Fraser, whilst Jamieson loaded the rifles, and just 

 glancing at the two victims as he passed them, peeped over 



