The Deerhound. 20 



including those who had been engaged in hunting, 

 and they fell upon the Picts. A terrible struggle 

 took place, one hundred of the Picts were slain and 

 " threescore gentlemen " on the other side, besides a 

 great number of commoners. The latter, poor 

 fellows, not being deemed worthy of numeration in 

 those bloodthirsty times, and, so long as the hound 

 was recovered, little thought would be given to the 

 dead " commoners " w'ho fought for its possession. 

 Moreover, it w^as stated few of the combatants 

 knew w^hat they had been fighting about. 



Another interesting story is that relating to the 

 family of St. Clair. King Robert Bruce, in following 

 the chase upon the Pentland Hills, had often started 

 a " white faunch deer," w^hich always escaped from 

 his hounds. He asked his nobles if any of them 

 possessed dogs that they thought might prove more 

 successful. Naturally, there w^as no one there so 

 bold as to affirm his hounds better than those of the 

 sovereign, until Sir William St. Clair came forward. 

 He would wager his head that his two favourite 

 hounds, "Help" and "Hold," would kill the deer 

 before she could cross the March burn. Bruce, 

 evidently of a sporting turn, at once wagered the 

 Forest of Pentland Moor, to the head of the bold 

 Sir William, against the accomplishment of the feat. 

 The deer was roused by the slow, or drag hounds, 



