126 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Duncan is not a French scholar, but the latter part 

 of my remark he did understand, and shouldering 

 the rifle, he made off down the hill at his best pace. 

 After half an hour's work, we came to a very likely 

 place, a beautiful glen, with high hills on either 

 side, down the middle of which ran the river, being 



the march between ourselves and the forest of G . 



Having got to a convenient place, with great con- 

 fidence we turned our glasses on the hillside. Xot 

 one solitary beast, stag or hind, could we discover. 



"The game's up now," I said, morosely; "there's 

 nothing for it but home." 



Duncan, not having any consolation to offer, 

 prudently held his tongue. 



" They must be somewhere," I remarked, after a 

 pause ; " if they're not on this side, they're bound to 

 be on the other." 



"Very likely, sir," replied Duncan, as he turned 

 his glass on the opposite side. 



Yes, there they were, three good stags, quite visible 

 to the naked eye about half a mile down the river, 

 and, what made it more provoking, only about two 

 hundred yards over our march. 



" Perhaps they'll cross ? " I eagerly asked. 



"I'm afraid not, sir," was the reply. 



However, we had something to look at now, and 

 all ideas of home were promptly abandoned. Light- 

 ing our pipes, we lay down comfortably among the 

 heather. An hour went past, and yet another ; the 



