CHAPTER IV 

 ERCHLESS AND FARLEY, 1917 



I WAS lucky enough to get the stalking on Erchless 

 again this year, and a wonderful season it was, too, 

 at the finish. It was ushered in rather drama- 

 tically, for we got our first stag on Farley as early 

 as the 27th of July ; it happened thus : Davie and I 

 had been prowling round Farley Wood one even- 

 ing, as we sometimes did, and had seen nothing. 

 As we were coming down to the car, which was 

 waiting for us near Matheson's house, Matheson, 

 who was working in his turnips, came running to- 

 wards us and asked us if we had seen the deer. 

 We said no, we had seen nothing. He said some 

 good stags had passed west just above his house 

 ten minutes ago, and could not be more than a 

 quarter of a mile away, so Davie and I hurried 

 back up the brae towards Sandy Forbes's house, 

 and when we got to the top of the ridge, there, 

 standing facing us in the brushwood, was a fine 

 stag. I seized the rifle from Davie and fired 

 standing, and the stag disappeared over the ridge, 

 and we found him a few yards below, stone dead, 

 with the bullet through his neck. The rest of the 



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