THE FIRST STAG SIGHTED. 25 



either keeper or shepherd. We had no sooner reached 

 his door, than we were assailed and completely hemmed 

 in by a large and most unpleasantly clamorous pack of 

 the so-called fox-hounds, composed of smooth terriers, 

 Skyes, and English hounds, with crosses and mongrels 

 ad infinitum. The clamour of the hounds and our own 

 consequent alarm somewhat abated, we learnt that 

 though Gillespie himself (the fox-hunter) was away on 

 a distant part of the farm, he had left instructions for 

 us with his wife ; and she accordingly entered into a 

 long colloquy with Donald, not one word of which 

 could Walter or I comprehend, being entirely Gaelic ; 

 but the substance of it, as he afterwards informed us, 

 was to the effect that a fine stag had been seen lately, 

 more than once, in a hollow in Ben Fuoghlin, not more 

 than three miles distant from the cottage, and that 

 there were several roe-deer in some birch woods in 

 Strathmohr, about five miles off, and nearly in the same 

 direction ; so that the two places might be visited in 

 the same day, before fairly entering the distant and 

 more unfrequented parts of the forest. 



Accordingly, sending Sandy forward with a large 

 bag of provisions which we had brought with us, com- 

 posed of barley bannocks, mutton ham, and usque- 

 baugh, to the hut where we purposed passing the night, 

 and possibly, if sport should prove good, two or three 

 nights, we retained Donald to carry our arms, consist- 

 ing of my rifle and gun and Walter's " dooble-barrel," 

 which carried ball very well, and set our faces to mount 

 Ben Fuoghlin. An hour's good climbing brought us in 

 eight of the hollow frequented by the stag. We had 

 before made several pauses to reconnoitre with our 

 glasses, as we mounted from one steppe to another, 

 during one of which Walter brought down a very fine 

 hawk, which Donald pronounced to be a young gled, 



