218 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



and ultimately to pause, to recover breath, still, 

 however, keeping the stag iu sight. And now we were 

 nearing the edge of a great cliff, overhanging a deep 

 valley, its face being in many parts quite perpendicular, 

 and the descent only to be accomplished in two spots, 

 one by a steep but winding path, and the other by the 

 rocky bed of a burn, the latter, however, so very rugged 

 as to be almost too much for a wounded animal to 

 undertake. The stag was making for the easier descent, 

 without any power on my part to prevent him, and if 

 he should accomplish that, I was perfectly aware that 

 he would be lost in the depths below for this day at 

 least, and probably expire before the search could be 

 resumed on the morrow. This would be a provoking 

 finale to my sport for the day; but it had all been 

 contemplated by the wary shepherd, and his plans laid 

 accordingly. Just as the stag was about to commence 

 the descent, Hector presented himself from behind a 

 ledge of rock, which by a short cut he had reached a 

 few minutes previously; and thus intercepted, the game 

 was forced to make off for the channel of the burn, to 

 which allusion has been made. Hector now joined me, 

 and we both followed the course taken by the deer 

 until the burn was reached. This descent the shepherd 

 was certain the stag could not accomplish ; and accord- 

 ingly, on cautiously looking down its course with my 

 glass, he discovered the animal standing about half-way 

 down, at a point where the rock was most precipitous, 

 evidently unwilling to venture further. 



Now therefore we made a short detour so as to creep 

 in upon the deer's flank as he stood in this awkward 

 position. To perform this feet was by no means easy, 

 but, with such a prize before us, obstacles, which in 

 ordinary cases would have proved insurmountable, were 

 now overcome with marvellous rapidity, and, after sun- 



