A MISS BEFORE LUNCH 81 



the steep rocks opposite; and climbing to the top 

 of the rocks we had no difficulty in getting in above 

 them on the flats, and crawling to about 150 yards 

 from them. They were then rather suspicious, 

 and I got rather a hurried shot at what we thought 

 was the best stag; but the light was bad and he 

 was standing with a dark background of a heathery 

 knoll behind him, .and a handsome miss was 

 recorded and the agony of despair was once more 

 mine. They dashed off over the ridge and down 

 the deep descent into the valley west of the Lily 

 Loch, and in the direction of Corriehalloch. One 

 crumb of comfort remained we found that I had 

 missed one of the smaller stags, the best beast 

 having been out of sight when I fired; and Stone 

 thought they would settle in Corriehalloch, and that 

 we should get another chance at them later on ; so 

 we decided to lunch, though we did not feel much 

 inclined for it, as we were not only downhearted 

 at the miss, but a bit blown as well, having had 

 quite a dash after them when they disappeared 

 over the ridge. After lunch Stone came and made 

 me happier by saying they had settled low down in 

 Corriehalloch, about one and a half miles away. 

 So we lost no time in getting down to the small 

 valley which Stone had seen them enter, and 

 cautiously crawled to where we ought to have been 

 able to see them, but they were not there. Sud- 

 denly they came in sight out of the next hollow, 

 and seemed as though they would pass underneath 



