32 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



for the open hill. With keen interest I watched its many 

 wayward angles and wheels, when, suddenly halting and cast- 

 ing a glance at the baffled dogs and men, it stalked into the 

 bare ground a majestic royal stag. Choosing the pass im- 

 mediately beyond those where we were concealed, and bring- 

 ing his noble profile into full relief against the evening sky 

 he disappeared leisurely over the ridge of the hill. This was 

 the first time I saw " the Garrochree stag," but it was not the 

 last. 



Our second Mull season began as prosperously as the first, 

 but we had the advantage of another gun, both my sons having 

 got a fortnight's leave from their regiments. Before settling 

 to regular work, the " green hand " had the honour of drawing 

 first blood, by killing a hart of 14 stone, at a scrambling 

 afternoon beat of Torlochan wood. It was a snap in the thick 

 of the trees with an S.S.G. cartridge, and the only shot fired 

 that day. 



Our plan was to give several days first to Scalastal, re- 

 serving the last week for Glenforsa, as a bonne louche. 



It was the first week of October, and the stags had given 

 notice by some trumpet-blasts that the season of warfare was 

 at hand. The Scalastal overseer told us they came down after 

 nightfall to feed on a field of turnips close to the farmhouse, 

 and one of them for the last few nights had been " roaring 

 like mad." I was seated by a good fire reading, when the man 

 popped in his head to say that the stag was " at it again," and 

 urging me to come out and hear his defiant music. The 

 sudden change from the bright and comfortable glare of the 

 fire and candles to the solemn gloom of a moonless and starless 

 night, whose silence was only broken by occasional bellowings 

 of the stag, suggested to one's fancy an Indian prairie or 

 African desert rather than one of our own Hebrides covered 

 with its brown heath and shaggy wood. 



When the grieve thought my mettle was up for a shot, he 

 slyly observed that a fowling-piece loaded with buck-shot 



