A FIVE-FURLONG SPRINT IN VAIN 67 



him round the corner of some steep rocks, looking 



very sick. He managed to get up, and disappeared 



into a steep gully a bit higher up. I exhorted 



Fraser to climp up and finish him off, as I was a bit 



blown, which he proceeded to do, and, getting 



comfortably into position, proceeded to miss him 



clean from 30 or 40 yards ! Much amused, he 



exhorted me to come up and finish the job, so 



I scrambled up, and did the necessary; and very 



pleased were we with our prize, as he was a very 



good 10-pointer, the best head we have got this 



year. He only weighed 13 stone 13 pounds, 



which was somewhat lucky, as we killed him pretty 



high up on Cairn Slofti in a very inaccessible, steep 



part, and when we eventually got Mackintosh and 



the pony the stag had to be dragged down 200 or 



300 yards, as it was too steep for the pony to 



get up. We sent Susan home with Mackintosh 



and the pony and our stag thereon, with his horns 



looking very fine, and Fraser and I had another 



dart for a very good 10-pointer which we had spied 



half-way up the Hare Hill. We had a wild chase 



to cut him off, as he was careering madly after 



some hinds in our direction; but just as we thought 



we had got it absolutely right, we found he had 



altered his mind and let the renegade hinds go 



and returned at top speed to the hinds he had left 



on the Hare Hill so our five-furlong sprint was 



in vain. But I have never seen a stag chase hinds 



so far or at such a pace quite a mile at full tilt, 



