74 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



fluttered in the wind seemed a forester's bonnet ; each 

 waving fern a forester's plaid. And so the day wore 

 on - ; evening approached, and Rob began to despair. 

 He now sat down on a knoll, rising from the bank of a 

 burn that fretted and chafed its winding way to the 

 loch below, and here he racked his brain to think what 

 could have become of the prize so nearly won, so 

 strangely lost. 



Occupied with these reflections, he was somewhat 

 startled on detecting a something moving in the burn 

 about two hundred yards below him. The oft-reviving 

 image of the forester at once recurred to his mind. 

 Can he be watched? Has he been the object of 

 observation the whole morning through ? No, " it is 

 the stag, 'mile diabholan ! ' 'tis the stag," slaking his 

 feverish thirst, and easing his burning tongue in the 

 cool waters of the burn. An exclamation of delight 

 burst from his lips, and in a moment Rob is flat on the 

 heather, and sliding down the side of the knoll. Cau- 

 tiously approaching, he gradually shortens the distance 

 between them, and succeeds in creeping close up to 

 the animal unobserved. And now, anxious, if possible, 

 to avoid the noise of a shot, he watches his opportunity: 

 and at length, leaping into the burn in the rear of the 

 beast, before it can turn round upon him, almost help- 

 less as it is from loss of blood and the disabled limb 

 behind, as well as harassed and impeded by the loose 

 stones in the burn, and agitated by the suddenness of 

 the attack, he springs upon its back, and, plunging his 

 knife deep into its breast, thus terminates the existence 

 of the famed stag of Ben Rhynie. 



Such, was one of many " olden memories " of the 

 grey-haired poacher. Other stories were related in 

 the course of our somewhat lengthy morning call ; but 

 I must postpone them till I have more leisure, lest I 



