DEER-STALKING. 9 



fire within fair distance. The left-shouldered man took de- 

 liberate aim at the head, the only part above water, and cut 

 off the horns close to the skull. The deer now struck ground, 

 and when bounding along the shore was missed by the game- 

 keeper, but immediately brought down in admirable style by 

 his old father. That a man could miss a deer, and yet knock 

 down double shots one after another at game, used to appear 

 a complete problem to me ; especially as one of his rivals could 

 not hit a bird at all, and his father as a game-shot was not to 

 be named in the same day with him. After a little practice 

 myself, the solution was plain. I have seen this old man in 

 his eightieth year bring down a deer running, and one season 

 had some venison sent me, killed by him when ninety-one 

 years old ! ! 



As I consider this forester the finest specimen I ever met 

 with of a Highlander of the old sehool, I may perhaps be al- 

 lowed to mention some of his peculiarities apart from his pro- 

 fessional avocations. His words, like his shooting, were slow, 

 but sure to tell. When addressing his superiors, his manner 

 was marked by the greatest courtesy, without the least approach 

 to servility. He was well read in ancient history, knew all 

 about the siege of Troy, and talked with the greatest interest 

 of Hannibal's passage over the Alps. On one occasion, when 

 several gentlemen were talking on a disputed point of history, 

 he stepped forward, begged pardon for interrupting them, and 

 cleared it up to their utter amazement. His memory was ex- 

 cellent, and nothing gave him greater delight than old tradi- 

 tions, legends, &c. The last time I saw him, he gave us an 

 account of some of the Eoman Catholic bishops of Scotland, 

 with characteristic anecdotes. In politics he had his own 

 peculiar opinions, was particularly jealous of the encroach- 

 ments of the " Great Bear," as he called Eussia, and thought 

 the Allies committed an irreparable error in not partitioning 

 France after the battle of Waterloo. No present found greater 

 favour than the last newspaper ; and it was curious to see the 



