38 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



cottage ; and therefore there was no chance of our 

 seeing them at present, unless it might be as they 

 returned to the come in the evening. The air, how- 

 ever, was so mild and still, that there seemed little 

 probability of their descending from the heights ; and 

 our only hope of sport, therefore, depended upon any 

 solitary deer which might be lying about. Tired as 

 they were, the gillies were ready and anxious to join 

 us, and show the way ; but this we would not hear of. 

 Accordingly, getting all the information we could from 

 them, and giving them express orders to take some 

 repose in our absence, Walter and I set out to try our 

 skill and fortune alone. I had my rifle, he his " dooble- 

 barrel;" and, from the little experience we had already 

 gained, we determined that nothing should induce us 

 again to walk with the wind, or lose a second oppor- 

 tunity like the one described in my last chapter. 

 Though it was by no means a fine day, being rather 

 misty and damp, yet at the cottage we had left it very 

 warm ; but as we mounted to the higher ground, we 

 found the breeze increasing in strength, until it even- 

 tually became a most cutting wind. We each had our 

 glass, and resolved to lose nothing by carelessness. 

 As we reached the head of each brae, we scanned every 

 inch of ground in sight, with a perseverance that soon 

 made oar eyes ache to a most unpleasant degree. 

 This operation was repeated again and again, but 

 without success. At last, however, my eye fell upon 

 a red-coloured object, apparently lying beneath a ledge 

 of rocks. Walter also succeeded in bringing his glass 

 to bear upon it ; but at so great a distance was it that 

 we could do no more than make out that it certainly 

 moved. 



While straining our aching optics upon this object, 

 until fancy caused it to dilate and assume forms 



