crup. xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 



(which I have since learnt to attribute to their true cause the 

 splitting of fragments of rock under a sudden change from wet 

 to sharp frost), and above all, the constant recurrence of visions 

 of weary struggles through fields of snow and ice kept me rest- 

 less ; and at length awoke me to the consciousness of a brilliant 

 skylight and keen frost a change that rejoiced me in spite of 

 the cold. 



Saturday. Need I say my first object was to go down and 

 examine the track anew. There was no mistake. It was impos- 

 sible to doubt that " the muckle hart of Benmore" had actually 

 walked through that burn a few hours before me, and in the same 

 direction. I followed the track, and breasted the opposite hill. 

 Looking round from its summit, it appeared to me a familiar 

 scene, and on considering a moment, I found I overlooked from 

 a different quarter the very same rocky plain and the two black 

 lochs where T had seen my chace three days before. I had not 

 gazed many minutes when I saw a deer lying on a black hillock 

 which was quite open. I lay down immediately, and with rny 

 glass made out at once the object of all my wanderings. My 

 joy was somewhat abated by his position, which was not easily 

 approachable. My first object, however, was to withdraw myself 

 out of his sight, which I did by crawling backwards down a little 

 bank till only the tops of his horns were visible, and they served 

 to show me that he continued still. As he lay looking towards 

 me, he commanded with his eye three-fourths of the circle, and 

 the other quarter, where one might have got in upon him under 

 cover of the little hillock, was unsafe from the wind blowing in 

 that direction. A burn ran between him and me, one turn of 

 which seemed to come within two hundred yards of him. It was 

 my only chance; so, retreating about half a mile, I got into the 

 burn in hidden ground, and then crept up its channel with such 

 caution that I never allowed myself a sight of more than the 

 tips of his horns, till I had reached the nearest bend to him. 

 There, looking through a tuft of rushes, I had a perfect view of 

 the noble animal, lying on the open hillock, la/.ily stretched out 

 at length, and only moving now and then to snatch his flank 

 with liis horn. I watched him for fully an hour, the water up to 

 my knees all the time. At length he stirred, gathered his lees 

 together, and rose ; and arching his back, he stretched himself 



p 2 



