114 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Expedition to the Forest. Evening Stroll. Storm and Wind. Deer 

 Sighted. The Stalk and its difficulties. Failure. Night in the 

 Mountain Cottage. Rainy Day. Anecdotes. The Highlander's 

 Opportunities. Curious Head. 



ONCE more I returned to the antlered denizen of the 

 forest. On Monday we started for another residence 

 of two or three days in the little cottage among the 

 hills, which serves as a shooting-box whenever the 

 sport proposed is deer-stalking ; the forest being at too 

 great a distance to allow of our returning to head- 

 quarters every night. 



We set off about noon, proposing to reach the cottage 

 shortly before nightfall, that we might be ready to 

 commence operations next morning at sunrise. A car, 

 drawn by a pair of high-spirited Highland ponies, con- 

 veyed us over the first six miles of the road, when, the 

 rest of our route lying across the "muir and the 

 mountain," we were fain to commit ourselves to our 

 legs. Gillespie, the fox-hunter, and Murdoch attended 

 as gillies, to carry our provisions ; while Walter and I 

 ourselves took charge of the arms and ammunition. 



Thus heavily accoutred, we found the ascent of Ben 

 Fuoghlin no slight task. The sun was pouring down 

 his rays, unchilled by a breath of air, unbroken or 

 tempered by a passing cloud, while we toiled up the 

 steep. As I looked, with a longing eye and parched 

 throat, at the many little springs and burns we passed, 

 gushing merrily and tunefully on their way, I fancied I 

 could almost realise to myself the feelings of the 

 traveller who, in crossing the deserts of Arabia, is lured 



