MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 15 



at hand, where we might yet have a shot ; but no such 

 good fortune. " 'Twill just be ganging straight for 

 the forest," said Donald, with a look of disgust, as the 

 stag disappeared from our sight. We were quite 

 puzzled as to how the deer could have been disturbed, 

 for the wind \vas fair for us, and he could not possibly 

 have seen us. But while we were standing in doubt, 

 the question was solved by the appearance of a 

 shepherd with his colley, who told us that he had 

 started the stag from a burn on the other side of the 

 hill. 



This was very provoking ; but as it had been through 

 no fault of ours, we were the less annoyed. Walter and 

 I were for following up the game ; but we yielded to 

 the better judgment of Donald, who assured us that 

 we should see no more of it that day. Our only chance, 

 therefore, was among the roe. 



Having now, however, but one gilly with us, and two 

 at least being necessary to beat, the woods, we easily 

 induced the shepherd to accompany us, and set off at 

 once in quest of fresh game. Our path lay for some 

 distance along the plateau which I mentioned before, 

 the Gaelic name of which (though I forget it at this 

 moment) means the hog's back. We were now on 

 elevated ground about 2500 feet above the sea and 

 the view was fine in the extreme, the air being wonder- 

 fully clear, so that we could see to a great distance in 

 every direction. Before us were hills rising above 

 hills, in every variety of contour, from the barrow- 

 shaped, well-rounded summits of the " old red sand- 

 stone " to the precipitous peaks and rugged outlines of 

 the more primitive formations, here and there some 

 grand patriarch rearing his bald forehead above the 

 lesser groups around hm, while numerous mountain 



