REMINISCENCES OF A ROSS-SHIRE FOREST. 121 



fatal. I was just thinking how best to get up and 

 finish him, when Eory, actuated no doubt by the 

 best possible motives, and thinking to put us all, 

 stag included, out of suspense, went off at his very 

 best pace with the rifle in his hand and a pocketful 

 of cartridges ! 



" Stop, man ! " I called as loudly as I dared. It 

 was no manner of use ; he was clean away, like a 

 fifty-guinea " pedigree " retriever with a hare in front 

 of him. My feelings were now, I fancy, very similar 

 to those of the late Lord Vllin when he saw his 

 daughter disappearing from his gaze " across this 

 stormy water." " ' Come back, come back ! ' he cried 

 in grief ; " but his lordship's efforts were unsuccessful 

 on that occasion, as were mine on this. The more he 

 cried, the less the erring young lady heard ; and the 

 more I hallooed after Eory, the faster the beggar ran. 

 There was nothing for it but to follow, which Duncan 

 and I did as fast as age and infirmities would permit 

 of. Eory kept well out of sight of the stag till he 

 got tolerably close ; then dropping on one knee he 

 fired right and left, the second barrel being put in 

 with the rapidity of Dr Carver's at Hurlingham or 

 Shepherd's Bush. On went the stag, and on went 

 Eory. The ground was rough, and both very soon 

 were lost to view. Blowing like a grampus, and in a 

 towering passion, panting and perspiring, I stumbled 

 along, making superhuman efforts to catch him up. 

 Presently another right and left, a long way farther 



