124 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



at " the stable," a convenient hut capable of shelter- 

 ing two ponies and half-a-dozen men if necessary. 

 Many an hour have I spent there on those tantalising 

 mornings when a thick mist was on the hills, and 

 when even the most experienced gillie could not 

 decide what it was going to do clear off as the day 

 advanced, or remain utterly hopeless for sport. At 

 the stable I found " little Duncan," not to be con- 

 founded with "old Duncan" above mentioned, a 

 Sutherlandshire man, and as good a one as ever trod 

 the heather, awaiting me, and a younger gillie with a 

 pony for the deer, should I be fortunate enough to 

 get one. Duncan gave him his directions, I gave the 

 groom mine to be back at six o'clock after which 

 we started, as we had many and many a day before, 

 on our lonely walk through the forest. We began 

 badly. At the top of " the path," five miles from the 

 stable, we looked the hill, and found two stags very 

 far up among the rocks. 



" We'll have to go to the top and come down on 

 them, sir," Duncan said. 



" So I feared," I replied. " I believe that infernal 

 hill gets steeper every year." 



It was a climb and no mistake, in some places al- 

 most dangerous. After getting to the top and making 

 a very long circuit, we began, with a gentle breeze 

 blowing in our faces, to come down slowly and 

 cautiously. I was just beginning to think we were 

 close on them, when, looking at Duncan, I saw he 



