40 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



Such was our first independent "stalk." Reader, 

 you may, as no doubt you will, enjoy a good laugh at 

 our "gullibility;" but we do not yet profess to be more 

 than tyros, and we must, like other learners, be dealt 

 with leniently in our early blunders, or you will crush 

 our communicativeness in the bud, and hear no more 

 from the "Land o' Cakes." Bear with me therefore 

 patiently, while I promise you something better is 

 coming. 



On turning over the carcase of our fox, and robbing 

 him of his brush, which we purposed carrying off as a 

 trophy in memory of our first unaided attempt at 

 deer-stalking, we began to examine the bearings of the 

 compass, and make out our position. From what we 

 recollected of the general features of the ground from 

 the view we had had in the morning, we came to the 

 conclusion that we could not be very far from the pass 

 through which the herd of deer took their way after 

 leaving Cohr an Dhu, and so we at once set off in 

 what we judged to be the right direction. Our opinion 

 was soon confirmed ; for, on passing over some soft 

 ground, we found the marks of deer almost as thick as 

 though a flock of sheep had gone by ; and, from the 

 way in which the earth was torn up, it was evident that 

 they must have been going at a rapid pace. 



These tracks therefore we followed, and presently 

 we found ourselves in a pass between two mountain 

 summits, leading into a hollow, on the far side of which 

 was, we imagined, the favourite retreat spoken of by 

 Donald. Here the wind was most violent, sweeping 

 up the brae and whistling round us, as though it would 

 tear the very plaids from our shoulders. No deer were 

 visible ; but clinging to the hope that the gale might 

 again bring them to seek shelter in the corrie, we 

 seated ourselves behind a rock in the very centre of 



