208 DEER SLAIN. 



Now then was our opportunity, and we determined 

 to make the best of it. Dropping on one knee we 

 cocked our rifles and waited their approach. The 

 heads were of various sizes from the procah upwards ; 

 but two in particular were conspicuous. One of them 

 had horns of great size and width, but free from points, 

 called in Gaelic a " caber slaht ; " the other was not 

 quite so large, but with six distinct points on either 

 horn, constituting what is called in technical language 

 *' a royal head." Just as the herd were passing imme- 

 diately in our front, some movement on our part caught 

 the eye of the leader, and caused a slight halt. This 

 however lasted but for an instant, when the report of 

 Alister's rifle dispelled all doubts as to the nature of 

 their enemy, and the " caber slaht " rolled over. It 

 was now my turn, and though the deer were holding 

 up the pass at a mad pace, I singled out the royal head 

 and fired. Not however with the same successful 

 result. The ball certainly sounded as if it had gone 

 home in the carcase of some one of the herd, but there 

 was no perceptible difference in the pace of any one of 

 them, and all were speedily out at the top of the pass 

 and away. 



Perplexed and somewhat annoyed at the failure of 

 what I knew to be a deliberate shot, I descended with 

 Alister, first to admire the fallen deer, and then, 

 leaving Hector to disembowel it, we proceeded to the 

 spot at which my shot had been directed, to discover, 

 if possible, whether or where the bullet had struck the 

 ground. No mark was to be found, though our search 

 was continued for several minutes ; I now therefore 

 began to hope that the shot had taken effect, and in all 

 probability after the effort of mounting the steep brae 

 before us, the deer if severely wounded would have 



