WITH BOA ON BENULA 101 



were magnificent after the mist had completely 

 cleared off (which it did about 4 p.m.), and the 

 stalk had been successful and entertaining, one 

 of its most diverting features being the utter dis- 

 regard Finlayson took of three or four hinds which 

 were lying down or feeding 200 or 300 yards farther 

 up the mossy slope we had slithered down, and 

 seemingly we were in full view though, of course, 

 a good deal above them. We had a lovely 

 moonlight night for our drive home, and reached 

 Balblair at 10 p.m., where Watty (A. M. W.) and 

 the servants had long given us up for lost. 



But glorious and all as was the 27th, it was 

 as nothing compared to our final effort on the 

 30th. We left Balblair at 8.30 in a thick mist, 

 and picked up Sandy three miles up the glen. He 

 at once remarked he had been afraid we should 

 not come, but that he thought it would clear up 

 about midday and be very hot, and so it turned 

 out; but all the way up it was very grey, and the 

 mist was quite low down when we reached 

 Benula at 10.30. Boa, the second stalker, was in 

 charge to-day, and we had only two ponies as 

 Finlayson wanted one on the north beat. The 

 wind was east, so we had a long ride along the 

 shore of Loch Longard and two miles farther 

 west, where we left the ponies and had a very stiff 

 climb to reach our ground. However, we were 

 up by 12.30 and had got above the mist and found 

 the tops quite clear, with brilliant sunshine and 



