56 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



doe ; and making sure that she must be in as prime order as 

 the bucks last killed, I had great pleasure in rolling her over. 

 What was my disgust on walking up to find it was a buck, 

 and to be convinced from his size and weight that he could be 

 no other than the patriarch, whose antlers had been so often 

 coveted, and which were now lying where he had cast them, 

 as useless lumber, away ! When this roe-deer was " gralloched," 

 and an inside disclosed like that of a summer wedder, we be- 

 gan to console ourselves that, though hornless, such " a buck 

 in the hand " might be worth both him and his horns " in 

 the bush " of next year. These were the three bucks before 

 alluded to ; but during the last two seasons of my lease we 

 killed not only some more bucks, but also four does, not a whit 

 behind them in condition. 



Although we had such good roe-shooting, there were only 

 four right-and-left shots fired the whole time of our lease. Two 

 of these doublets were distant chances, and fell to my share. 

 Both times there were only a pair of roes ; and in each case 

 the first fell, and its neighbour, being badly wounded, was 

 recovered shortly afterwards. 



The other two double shots were fired by my second son. 

 On the first trial he killed with one barrel ; with the other he 

 missed. Next opportunity, however, both roes dropped to 

 shot. At this fortunate moment he occupied the highest pass 

 on the opposite side of the Falloch, while my other son and I 

 guarded the runs nearly in the line below him. Two large 

 does and a buck crossed within fair range, and from the lower 

 ground we distinctly noticed the pair drop, and the third come 

 thundering down-hill in a frantic manner. But its panic, by 

 scaring it from its usual track, saved its life ; for although the 

 creature came within reach of the lowest gun, a hollow of the 

 hill hid it at the critical time. The keeper and upper shooter 

 soon after appeared with the buck and largest doe on their 

 shoulders, while the low-pass gun bitterly complained of the un- 

 social habits of all roes that had challenged its powers, avow- 



