REMINISCENCES OF A ROSS-SHIRE FOREST. 113 



He had forgot to ask, and he hadn't the remotest 

 idea ! The animal, as Duncan told me, was lying 

 quietly down. It was about eleven o'clock in the 

 morning, and the odds were that, if undisturbed, he 

 would have lain there for two or three hours. The 

 parson had time for an early luncheon, and a com- 

 fortable smoke thereafter ; then he might have built 

 himself a rest for his rifle with bricks and mortar, 

 had such articles been handy but no. As soon as 

 he peeped over the rock he got the rifle in his hand, 

 took a hurried sight, and fired, as he would have 

 done at a woodcock in a thick covert. Most be- 

 ginners, as soon as they see the quarry, do the same. 

 They "let it off" at once, like Mr Tupman. Some- 

 times they kill, the worst possible result for their 

 future career, they get lots of praise : " The quickest 

 thing ever you saw, sir ; as soon as I showed him the 

 beast he was down." The shot is extolled as a splen- 

 did one, it being in reality a fluke of the ghastliest 

 possible description. Of course occasionally you must 

 fire in a hurry, but in nine cases out of ten you have 

 heaps of time. I recollect on one occasion I was 

 lying with a good stag in front of me. There was 

 only his head and neck visible, and although I was 

 within fair shooting distance, I made up my mind to 

 wait till he should give me a better chance. I waited 

 till I got tired, and then determined to risk it as he 

 lay. Just as I was getting into position I had a hurried 

 and excited warning from the gillie who was with me. 

 VOL. v. H 



