SECOND DAY IN THE FOREST. 37 



CHAPTER III. 



Second Day in the Forest. False Stalk. Mountain Pass. Deer 

 visible. Death of Stag. The Eagle's Habits. Anecdotes. 



MY last brought us up to the death of my first stag ; 

 mine, I say, for mine was the shot which really proved 

 fatal, though Walter actually laid him low. But, un- 

 satisfactory as it was that we could neither of us 

 entirely claim the glory as his own, the emotions of 

 the moment of victory were a sufficient reward for all 

 our toil. 



On reaching the cottage we found a breakfast, pre- 

 pared by the cleanly wife of the shepherd. The Scotch 

 poor as a body are, I admit, anything but particular as 

 regards cleanliness ; but in the most remote Highland 

 regions they are frequently cleanly, unassuming, and 

 moral; and a better specimen it would be difficult to 

 find than Rorie's wife. Having made the most of the 

 opportunity for replenishing the " inner man," we lay 

 down once more on our couch of heather and straw, to 

 make up for the scanty allowance of sleep we had 

 enjoyed during the past night, and in imagination were 

 soon dreaming of the deer, and re-enacting our late 

 performance. 



After about four hours' repose we were roused by 

 the arrival of our two gillies and the shepherd with 

 the carcase of the stag. We found ourselves so much 

 refreshed, that we were anxious to lose no time in 

 setting out and searching for any straggling deer which 

 might be lying about the neighbourhood. The main 

 herd, Donald assured us, had betaken themselves to 

 their usual place of retreat during the day some 

 almost inaccessible heights about five miles from the 



