38 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLLSHIRE 



approach of the deer. I remember one distin- 

 guished literary character (now a judge of the 

 High Court) who insisted on taking Homer out 

 with him on one of our expeditions, and, although 

 he loudly protests to this day that he kept a good 

 lookout all the time, and that nothing came any- 

 where near him, he will never persuade the keeper 

 or myself that the deer did not pass within a 

 hundred yards of him. Horace is our authority 

 for the statement that Homer was not above 

 taking an occasional nap himself; and I can 

 well believe that, on that fine autumn day, on 

 the pleasant hillside, he was the cause of sleep 

 in another. 



Although on most occasions the position of 

 the rifles is changed more than once, there is no 

 doubt that many sportsmen look upon such a 

 deer hunt or drive as monotonous and dull, and 

 only take part in one, quite unnecessarily, out 

 of good nature. It must be admitted, too, that 

 on a still, muggy day, in a sheltered place, the 

 midges can make themselves extremely disagree- 

 able. It is curious how much more they attack 

 some people than others, and with what different 

 effect. For myself, to quote the expressive sen- 

 tence of an Irish milkmaid, "It is not the bit 

 they ate of me that I grudge ; it's just the ever- 

 lasting trampling they kape up." Not a sign of 

 their attacks remains upon me in the evening, 

 whereas I have seen the face of one of their 



