134 STAG WOUNDED. 



Breathless with excitement and exertion, I presently 

 joined my friend, just as he had reloaded his two 

 barrels ; and following with my eye the direction 

 indicated by his digit, I perceived four deer two 

 hinds and a stag cantering up the further end of the 

 glen, followed at a considerable interval by a large 

 stag, evidently much disabled, though making immense 

 efforts to keep within sight of his companions. 



Gillespie had surveyed the valley from a point 

 whence he could see all the ground below, except the 

 part lying immediately at the base of the cliff. 

 Discovering nothing, he then returned to Walter ; and 

 both of them creeping forward, looked cautiously over 

 the very brink of the cliff. Gillespie was taking his 

 observations with all the care of a " canny Scot," 

 slowly advancing his head, inch by inch, over the 

 edge of the rock, when he became aware of a fine 

 pair of antlers, rising from the base of the cliff 

 immediately beneath his position. Without exposing 

 himself any further, he slowly withdrew, and Walter 

 took his place. Scarcely, however, had the latter 

 caught sight of the tips of the horns below, when an 

 old hind stepped forward and snuffed the air sus- 

 piciously. She was immediately joined by a second 

 hind and two stags ; and now all four stood together, 

 evidently on the alert and uneasy. 



Walter remained perfectly motionless, lest by the 

 least movement he should discover himself to the 

 wary animals. Presently the hinds began to move off; 

 and as Gillespie said the stags would speedily follow, 

 there seemed to be nothing for it but to fire ; though 

 therefore the shot would be a long one, and it is 

 always uncertain work to fire down from higher ground, 

 W r alter reluctantly took aim and pulled trigger. 



