THE APPROACH. 203 



the deer; " they were on the point of entering a small 

 valley, about to rest, as he assured us, under the shadow 

 of some cliffs which overhung it at the further end. 

 We were now almost to windward of them, and our 

 plan was to make for this group of overhanging cliffs, 

 and there wait an opportunity for singling out a good 

 head. The first step, however, was to get out of the 

 wind as speedily as possible, and take another peep at 

 them from a safer quarter, so as to make certain of 

 their destination. For some minutes, therefore, we 

 hurried along as fast as our thews and sinews could 

 bear us, being careful to keep some rising ground 

 between ourselves and the game, until we had gained 

 a position where there was no danger of their winding 

 us. Here we again paused, and creeping up the rising 

 ground on our hands and knees took a second survey. 

 The deer were still a mile or more distant, but with 

 our glasses we could distinctly make out some very 

 good heads. While still watching their movements, 

 we observed that the herd gradually divided into two 

 sections ; the one, composed apparently entirely of 

 hinds, beginning to feed away from the valley towards 

 some still higher ground, while the stags one by one 

 disappeared into the depths of the glen, whither 

 Hector had predicted that they would repair for their 

 mid-day nap. Leaving therefore the hinds to their own 

 devices, we again hastened forward. To gain the rocks 

 from which we hoped to get a shot, we had to make a 

 considerable circuit, so as to wind round two-thirds of 

 the circumference of a precipitous hill, which rose to 

 the left of the valley where the deer were situated ; 

 this involved a walk of fully three miles over very rough 

 ground, but for such contingencies the deer-stalker 

 must ever be prepared, and even learn to bear 



