GROUSE AND STAG. 89 



corrie, with the intention of emerging from it at the 

 other end, over the crest of the hill, when McKay, 

 who was leading, suddenly stopped, and dropping 

 on his knees, motioned to me to lie down the 

 gillie with the dogs, of course doing the same. 

 On creeping up to him I found that he had got a 

 glimpse of a stag grazing on the hill to our right. 

 "We had nothing to conceal us but the heather, 

 which, however, grew thickly near the course of 

 the Lurn, so crawling through it, in snake-like 

 fashion, we at last got within about three hundred 

 yards of him. Then I ventured to look. There 

 he was : grazing leisurely : a beautiful broadside 

 shot : standing off distinctly from the dark back- 

 ground. He had a fair head, of ten points, and 

 appeared in capital condition. Not another 

 animal of his own species was within sight. 

 Several tussocks covered with mosses and lichens 

 rose within rifle range of him, and once there, I 

 could hardly fail of killing him. Indeed at that 

 moment I felt certain of success, as the interven- 

 ing ground was well furnished with heather, and 

 we had already overcome the chief difficulties in 

 reaching our present position. Quickly resuming 

 our task, we had accomplished about a quarter of 

 the distance, when a cock grouse sprang up, right 

 in front of McKay, and flew back over our heads, 



