DEER-DRIVING IN MULL. 33 



might hit them, even in so dark a night, and felt confident 

 that he could grope his way to the gap in the wall where the 

 deer entered to " spoil (!) the neeps," and by which they also 

 retreated when satisfied. To prevent them getting our wind, 

 we had to make a considerable circuit through rough hill 

 ground, to clamber over a high fence, and, worst of all, to cross 

 Scalastal brook. Had I not been confident the man could find 

 his way blindfold, I should certainly have declined the whole 

 thing. No sooner had we quitted the outer door into the 

 black still darkness, than I felt powerless as a child. The 

 overseer, however, was alert enough. First tracing a sheep- 

 path to guide him to the fence, which he followed down until 

 he discovered the rude steps he sought, then listening for the 

 brook, he rather anxiously whispered, " If we were but through 

 the burn," and led the way. The burn was full of large stones, 

 deep linns, and swollen by recent rain ; but by finding the ford 

 we managed to scramble through, about knee-deep. Guided 

 by the bellowing of the deer (for we now distinguished more 

 than one roaring), the gap in the turnip-field was easily found, 

 and I was quickly squatted, so as to have the quarry between 

 me and the sky when steadying themselves for the leap down 

 from the field into the moor. My sons and the shepherds had 

 to move them from the lower end, where they were now feed- 

 ing, and when they reached the gap they would be about ten 

 paces from my ambush. A few minutes of suspense, and we 

 heard the rush of the deer bounding in our direction. They 

 halted with only the wall between us. Every moment I 

 expected a dark figure on the sky-line, but they seemed bent 

 on trying our patience. Only when the drivers were close on 

 them did they deign to move ; and then, instead of their con- 

 venient egress, wandered alongside the wall and made an 

 uncomfortable exit at the burn ! The wind being all right, it 

 was impossible they could either have smelt, seen, or heard us, 

 and we could only account for the mishap by that caprice 

 common to all living creatures as well as deer. When groping 



c 



