24 OUR FIRST STAG. 



The story was scarcely finished, the relation of which 

 was much more impressive, from the language and 

 looks of Donald, than I can make it, and I was just in 

 the act of rising to stretch myself, when I was very 

 roughly dragged down by Donald, who at the same 

 moment whispered in a low mysterious tone, " Bide a 

 wee, Sir ; bide a wee ! " and, indeed, I was only too 

 willing to take the hint, for within three hundred yards 

 of us was a noble stag coming gaily up the brae, in 

 perfect innocence of our vicinity. How he came 

 there we could not conceive, but there he was ; and, 

 the wind having chopped round in the last few minutes, 

 there was little danger of his winding us till he was at 

 least within shot. 



It was a most beautiful sight to see him. throw up 

 his head and snuff the air, and then scratch his side 

 with his antlers, or crop the grass as he leisurely 

 approached. My pulse began to beat quickly, and I 

 saw that Walter too could ill disguise his nervousness. 

 But we felt it our only chance to-day, and we resolved 

 to follow Donald's advice, to " be steady, and take him 

 cannily." When within about two hundred yards, 

 something behind him (which afterwards proved to be 

 Eorie coming to join us) seemed to alarm his cervine 

 majesty, and he began to trot, while Donald whispered 

 to us not to fire till he was close. Onward he came, 

 ever and anon looking back, and regardless of what was 

 before him, till, when within about sixty yards, he sud- 

 denly winded us, and checked himself abruptly, as 

 though puzzled what to make of the enemy visible 

 behind and the new scent in front. In an instant my 

 gun was raised, I aimed before the shoulder-blade, and 

 fired. The stag sprang high in the air, paused an 

 instant, and then tore down the brae at a mad pace. 



