192 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



Though already well nigh wearied out, we lost no 

 time in commencing a forced march towards them, 

 Gillespie, as usual, taking the lead. 



Two stags soon started up in our front, and making 

 straight for the herd bade fair to spoil our sport ; but 

 while we were anxiously watching the result, they 

 unexpectedly turned off to the left, and disappearing 

 in a hollow, to our delight left the herd undisturbed. 

 We now resumed the stalk, and after much hard walk- 

 ing and climbing, found ourselves breathless at the 

 ledge of rock above mentioned. After standing a 

 moment to recover breath, I crept forward along the 

 rock on my hands and knees to reconnoitre the 

 position of the deer. They were all together, two or 

 three still feeding, the others lying, but all out of gun- 

 shot ; but while I was looking around to discover any 

 way of approaching nearer, an old hind, hitherto con- 

 cealed behind a bank of snow, rose to her feet within 

 eighty yards, and stood staring me in the face. I 

 remained perfectly motionless, but she evidently saw 

 me, and being a fine yeld hind, I took a deliberate aim 

 at her shoulder and fired. She at once turned round, 

 and though, as her floundering gait betrayed, severely 

 wounded, she followed the rest of the herd up the 

 steep hill-side at a mad pace. I started in pursuit, 

 but the depth of the snow soon brought me to a stand, 

 and I quietly suffered the foxhunter to go after her 

 alone. He too however turned back on reaching the 

 top of the hill ; for though he declared his full assur- 

 ance that the animal could not live, it was impossible 

 to say how far she might take us from our route. 

 Accordingly, as it was already growing dusk, our 

 homeward route was resumed in good earnest. As we 

 reached the brink of a deep ravine, along the bottom 

 of which lay our path, two objects suddenly sprang up 



