114 



DEER-STALKING. 



CH. XXVI. 



owls hooting and calling on the tops of old larch- 

 trees. Everything else was as still as death. 



"'Deed, sir, that's no canny!" exclaimed my 

 companion, as an owl with peculiar vigour of lungs 

 uttered his wild cry close to us, and then flitting 

 past our faces, alighted on the opposite side of 

 the avenue we were walking along, and recom- 

 menced his song of bad omen. " If it wasn't 

 so dark, I'd empty the gun into his ugly craig." 

 However, as it was so dark, the owl escaped being 

 sacrificed to Donald's dislike this time ; and we soon 

 reached the house, where the comforts of my own 

 dressing-room were by no means unacceptable after 

 so long an absence from razor, brushes, etc. 



