HIND SLAUGHTERED. 249 



of not more than half a mile they paused. Here one 

 by one they began to feed, occasionally looking about 

 them as if puzzled to make out what had happened, 

 for the slain deer had been feeding apart from the rest, 

 and therefore they had not seen her fall. Roderick, 

 the gilly, who had some time before this returned from 

 taking the dog back to his father, was now left to 

 remove the intestines of the hind and prepare her 

 body for removal, while we went on to try for another. 



The herd, conscious of some danger, though not 

 knowing in what quarter, had taken up a position in 

 which it was impossible to accomplish a near approach. 

 The plan, therefore, which we adopted was that I should 

 hasten forward to a crag, below which their course 

 would probably lie, if disturbed, while my attendant 

 should presently show himself, and so hasten their 

 movements, as well as render them less suspicious of 

 danger in any other direction. This we began to put 

 into execution at once, for evening was fast approaching. 

 A few minutes sufficed for me to reach my position ; 

 and I had not been ensconced there five minutes more, 

 when the herd, alarmed at the sight of Gillespie, came 

 trotting along in my direction. When however they 

 were still about three hundred yards off, they suddenly 

 seemed to wind me. and all stood still ; then changing 

 their course, they began to make for a slight break in 

 a line of cliffs below them, down which they clearly 

 intended to go. 



Here then was a critical moment. This was my 

 last chance, I fully knew, for the day ; and the deer 

 would very soon be out of shot. So putting up " the 

 sight " of my rifle to 300 yards, and aiming very 

 deliberately at the hind, I watched for the moment 

 when she should pause ere commencing the descent 

 through the narrow pass, and just at that moment 



