13 



He was a fine stag, the heaviest I have got on 

 Farley, 16 stone 4 pounds, and a 9-pointer with 

 splendid thick, black, rough horns, though unfor- 

 tunately not very long and no great spread- 

 still, a very good beast, and the staggiest stag I 

 ever have smelt, which is rather curious, as it 

 was not very late in the season. His head adorns 

 my hall, and gives me many a thrill as I go in and 

 out ; it is curious what a feast they are to a stalker, 

 and how absolutely unnoticed they are by the rest 

 of mankind. 



The 4th of October was the next red-letter day. 

 Some stags had been seen on the bare bit east 

 which used to be part of Farley Wood (making 

 it one of the largest woods in Scotland) before 

 Lord Lovat had it cut down about ten years ago. 

 It is a very favourite haunt of the stags in Farley 

 Wood, when they are driven out of the wood by 

 the flies, and affords excellent feeding. We soon 

 spied some shootable beasts, one a very good 

 6-pointer, but it was desperately hard to get near 

 them, as the ground is very bare, and we spent all 

 the morning in vain trying to get within shot. 

 After lunch we returned to the attack, and finally 

 I got a long shot at the big fellow, well over 200 

 yards, and missed him all right. But they did not 

 see us, and though they disappeared over the ridge, 

 Davie said they would not go far; and sure enough, 

 when we got to the ridge, there they were about a 

 quarter of a mile below, huddled together and 



