26 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



tall pines, and came upon a wide extent of open 

 moorland, studded with clumps and irregular 

 patches of spruce and Scotch firs, of younger 

 growth. Here an opportunity of " dressing up," 

 in military parlance, was afforded to as many of 

 us as were within sight of each other, although 

 at least three-fourths of the field were out of view 

 on either side. Finding myself considerably in 

 the rear, I was running forward to the front, and 

 had hardly plunged into one of the clumps that 

 intervened, when a cry of " Roe ! roe ! " followed 

 by a report from the right, reached my ears. 

 Hurrying through the trees, I was just in time, 

 as I emerged on the opposite side, to catch a 

 glimpse of a fine buck, passing at full speed 

 about thirty yards off. My first shot, directly in 

 front of his shoulder, was unsuccessful ; with the 

 second he rolled over, and the next moment the 

 hunting-knife of the nearest keeper finished his 

 career ; but I found that, notwithstanding my 

 previous conviction of the impossibility of such a 

 blunder, I had thoughtlessly discharged the 

 barrel containing small shot first, which, at that 

 distance, is rarely sufficient to bring a roedeer to 

 the ground. 



We were now among the haunts of the black 

 game, and several noble male birds of that species 



