GLISSADE. 247 



snow in the direction taken by his four-footed precursor. 

 But thus to shoot a steep slope 500 or 600 feet in 

 length is no trifling performance, and not without 

 hazard. How he reached the bottom he has never 

 been able to remember from that day to this. He 

 recollected launching himself forth on the snow, then 

 followed a wild rush through the air, a choking sensa- 

 tion, and a giddy feeling of bewilderment, and his 

 next moment of consciousness was as he lay half- 

 buried in the level snow at the foot of the slope ; his 

 hounds gathering about him, and all of them like him- 

 self uninjured. The rapidity of his descent was soon 

 fully demonstrated, when on rising to search for his 

 plaid before resuming his journey homewards, not a 

 vestige of it remained. The whole, as well as a portion 

 of his coat and trousers, had evaporated into shreds 

 and ribbons in his course over the snow. 



For nearly two whole hours anecdotes like this 

 served to while away the time as we waited for the 

 hind to break off her mid-day dreams and ruminations. 

 At length, when patience was well nigh exhausted, we 

 were delighted to see her rise, descend for a moment 

 into the hollow through which ran the burn, and then, 

 re-appearing on the further side with her other com- 

 panions, gently browse her way over the bank into 

 some sheltered ground beyond. And now in a moment 

 'we were rushing helter-skelter to reach the bed of the 

 burn before any new movement should interrupt our 

 operations, hoping to be in time for a shot over the 

 bank. On taking a breath then in the burn, and 

 creeping forward for a view, what was our mortifica- 

 tion to find the game again absconded, and joined 

 apparently by the two deer whom the dog had alarmed 

 earlier in the day, all walking away in a manner that 

 foreboded but ill for our chance of getting a shot. It 



