192 THE SEARCH CONTINUED. 



fastened their tiny roots in the almost invisible inter- 

 stices on the very face of the rock. The storm having 

 passed off, we resumed our way, and at length found 

 ourselves at the very spot where we had last seen the 

 deer. In front lay an elongated tahle land, the 

 almost flat top of a ridge of hills running between two 

 deep glens, narrowing in one direction to the width of 

 about half a mile, while in the opposite quarter it 

 stretched out somewhat in the form of the letter T into 

 two branching ranges of hills singularly rugged and wild. 

 On this table land, and among the countless dips and 

 irregularities that varied its surface, the herd of deer, 

 of which we were in pursuit, were accustomed to spend 

 the day, returning in the evening to the lower ground 

 of one of the two neighbouring glens. Here then' we 

 paused, for the double purpose of recovering breath, 

 and of making observations. Deer-stalking is a pursuit 

 which admits of nothing like rash haste. There are 

 indeed times when the utmost rapidity of movement is 

 necessary ; but caution and care are ever indispensable, 

 and for lack of these qualities many a promising stalk 

 has been suddenly spoilt, and many an expectation 

 disappointed. 



Quietly seating ourselves therefore behind a bank of 

 peat, so as not to attract any attention, should the deer 

 be near us, we began to look for them on the table 

 land in front. But not a head was to be seen. The 

 only living objects in view were a couple of ravens, 

 hastening to take their meal from the carcase of the 

 deer we had recently passed ; their hoarse croak harmo- 

 nising well with the wildness of the scene, and being 

 the only sound which broke its deathlike stillness. 

 After in vain examining all the ground within the range 

 of our glasses, we set off for a nearer inspection of some 



