CHAP, xxi.] DEATH OF MY FIRST STAG. 171 



missed him altogether, though he looked as large as an ox, 

 and \ve saw him going at a steady gallop over the wide flat. 

 Donald had out the glass immediately, and took a steady sight 

 at him, but having watched the noble animal, as he galloped 

 up the opposite slope and stood for two or three minutes on the 

 summit, looking back intently at us, he shut up the telescope 

 with a jerk that threatened to break every glass in it, and giving 

 a grunt, vastly expressive of disgust, returned to the well, 

 where he took a long draught. His only remark at the time 

 was, " There 's no the like of that stag in the country ; weel do 

 I mind seeing him last year when shooting ptarmigan up yonder, 

 and not a bullet had I. The deil 's in the rifle, that she did na 

 kill him ; and he'll cross the river before he stops." It required 

 some time and some whisky also, to restore Donald to his usual 

 equanimity. 



This was on a Saturday. On the Monday following at a very 

 early hour Donald appeared, and after his morning salute of 

 "It's a fine day, Sir," he added, " There will be some deer 

 about the west shoulder of the hill above Alt-na-cahr. When- 

 ever the wind is in the airt it now is, they feed about the burn 

 there." We agreed to walk across to that part of the ground, 

 and were soon en route. Bran galloped round us, baying 

 joyously, as if he expected we should have good luck. We had 

 not gone half a mile from the house, when we met one of the 

 prettiest girls in the country, tripping along the narrow path, 

 humming a Gaelic air, and looking bright and fresh as the 

 morning. " How are you all at home, Nanny, and how is your 

 father getting on? does he see any deer on the hill?" said I ; her 

 father was a shepherd not far from the house, and she was then 

 going down on some errand to my sen-ants. " We are all no* 

 that bad, thank you, Sir. except mother, who still has the trouble 

 on her. Father says that he saw some hinds and a fine sing 

 yesterday as he crossed the hill to the kirk ; they were feeding on 

 the top of Alt-na-cahr, and did na mind him a bit." 



Donald looked at me, with a look full of importance, at this 

 confirmation of his prophecy. " Deed, Sir, that's a bonny lass, 

 and as gude as she is bonny. It 's just gude luck our meeting 

 her ; if we had met that auld witch, her mother, not a brast would 

 we have seen the dav." I have heard of Donald turning home 



