22 THE PASS. 



some time, and nothing coming in view, the whole 

 herd being now lost beneath the bar of rock, we grew 

 uneasy lest they might have evaded us by some unseen 

 path, and foolishly, most foolishly, left our position, 

 admirable as it was, to creep forward to the rocky bar, 

 and catch a glimpse of what was going on below. 

 Between us and the bar was an open grassy sward, 

 traversed by a small burn, down the course of which 

 we began to creep very cautiously, the banks not being 

 high enough to conceal us. It was but a short distance 

 not more than fifty yards at the most but it took 

 some time to get over it in the crouching position we 

 were obliged to assume. Before we had passed more 

 than half the space Walter and I were side by side, 

 stealing along as best we might on all fours, when 

 some object flashed suddenly across the corner of my 

 eye ; and, turning my head, I beheld the " monarch of 

 the glen" within sixty yards of me. At the same 

 instant he either winded us or caught sight of us, I 

 know not which; but, with a snort and a kind of plunge, 

 he struck his hoofs into the soil, drew himself up, and 

 gazed proudly around, as though to make out his 

 enemy. At this instant, whispering to Walter not to 

 move an injunction which he fortunately seemed at 

 once to comprehend I raised my rifle, rested my 

 elbow on Walter's shoulder, aimed just behind the 

 shoulder-blade direct for the heart, and fired. Turning 

 round, the deer plunged, or rather staggered, for a few 

 paces down the brae, and then, apparently recovering, 

 went away at a mad pace through the whole herd, 

 which at first stood puzzled at the sudden flight of 

 their leader (for the discharge of a gun is quite lost 

 among the rocks if there be a pretty strong breeze), 

 and then gradually collected and followed him, until 



