16 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



stalking from above. Should two good stalkers be noticed by 

 deer, one ought always to remain where they were first per- 

 ceived, the other advancing alone. If the deer are in sight 

 and not far off, a knowing forester often restrains the eager- 

 ness of the novice by telling him to " coont the grass as they 

 go along " ; that is, to count the deer as they raise their heads 

 for a moment when feeding up. This, by ensuring a very 

 slow advance, doubles the chances of their escaping the notice 

 of the deer, and keeps the young stalker more cool. The 

 forester all the time has his eye on the leading deer. When 

 selecting your hart, raise the rifle most leisurely to the shoulder. 

 If brought up in a hurry, or in the same way that a quick 

 shot takes aim with his fowling-piece, you are almost certain 

 to miss. 



A good forester generally becomes very nervous in the 

 long-run, from the bungling of some gentlemen arid the ill- 

 temper of others, together with his constant anxiety to procure 

 them fair chances. 



The quick sight of a skilful forester in first discovering 

 deer will appear miraculous to a stranger to the sport, and, 

 unless quite bewildered, he cannot fail to admire the general- 

 ship which follows. The whole ground is as perfectly known 

 to his guide as his own pleasure-grounds to himself. Every 

 hollow, every knoll is taken advantage of ; every shifting turn 

 of the wind, up the one or round the other, is surely predicted, 

 until, to his own utter amazement, the panting Sassenach or 

 Lowlander is told that he is within fair rifle-distance of a 

 bevy of noble harts. 



After deer have been stalked and shot at, they become 

 much wilder ; the best sport at the old harts is therefore ob- 

 tained at the beginning of the season. They generally keep 

 together, and when their stately mien and branching antlers are 

 seen in the distance, the sight is enough to inspirit the most 

 apathetic; but when he is told to cock his double-barrelled 

 rifle for a shot, I could well excuse a novice for being scarcely 



