FOLLOWING THE GAME WITHOUT SUCCESS. Ill 



in the tall heather just as we came over the crest 

 of the ascent ; and before we could get a shot, had 

 disappeared over a precipice, down the difficult 

 face of which they wound their way in safety ; and 

 when we came to look over the edge of it, they 

 were trotting along several hundred feet below. As 

 we turned away from watching them, we caught sight 

 of a herd of about forty, in a contrary direction, just 

 vanishing over a distant hill, having winded us and 

 taken alarm. Shortly after this we reached the rocky 

 pass, where we had expected to fall in with our three 

 deer. Before however taking up our position, we 

 proceeded to reconnoitre the ground in the direction 

 by which they must come ; but the most careful 

 examination could discover no trace of them. There 

 were indeed " numberous " slots, or footprints, which 

 Gillespie pointed out to us in the very pass itself, but 

 none which seemed fresh; and our conclusion therefore 

 was, that th game must have taken some unexpected 

 turn, and gone away by a different route. 



We now made for a rocky kind of headland, which 

 projected into the air, commanding a good, view over 

 some likely ground ; and here we once more brought 

 our glasses into play. But so piercingly cold was the 

 wind, and so unfavourable from its changeableness, 

 that in despair we were almost inclined to give up 

 further attempts for to-day, and, as we sickened of the 

 work, became also proportionably careless. 



A sudden gust of wind now carried my hat away, 

 bursting a very strong elastic band, which passed 

 under my chin, and at the same moment, a large loose 

 " poncho " of Walter's was torn from his shoulders, 

 and carried high into the air, spinning round, as it 

 ascended, in corkscrew fashion. The coat was re- 



