62 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



pointed in the direction of the birches. A nod from the 

 scout gave confidence to our stalk, being a well-understood 

 signal that the trio had not been moved by the shot. 



Thoroughly acquainted with the ground, the younger 

 sportsman took position on line, but considerably beyond 

 the birches where the deer were feeding ; while the elder 

 took advantage of a hillock about a hundred yards below, 

 and close to the burn scaur. 



A slight motion of my cap warned the keeper to come on. 

 He first slipped out of sight for a little time, and began to 

 whistle and speak to his canine accomplices, gradually emerg- 

 ing, as if accidentally, into view, having exactly the appear- 

 ance of a shepherd " wearing " his flock. Dozens of times, 

 we well knew, the roes had witnessed this operation, and were 

 quite callous to it; so when the man now wheeled to the 

 right, then to the left, but always nearing them as if by 

 chance, the creatures were as easily herded as three " harvest 

 hogs." They strayed slowly down the burn, and I was first 

 aware that they were close upon my hiding-place by a head 

 peering over the mound within pistol-shot of the muzzle of 

 my gun. Anxious for a right-and-left, I was loath to fire 

 until the three had topped the hillock, so the rejected head 

 caught sight of its contemner, and ducking back warned the 

 others, when they all scampered away. 



I was on the hillock-top in an instant, but an unfortunate 

 dip in the ground hid them until nearly out of reach, when I 

 fired and struck the rear one bounding straight from me. At 

 full pitch of their speed, the now terrified creatures dashed 

 past the high gun, a long cross-shot. The leader fell dead, 

 but the others, scared anew, swerved down-hill, only allowing 

 the second barrel time for a distant snap at the one I had 

 before struck. The pair rushed down the burn's bank, one of 

 them crossed, and immediately showing on the other side, 

 darted up the hill at full stride : why the other lagged behind, 

 we were at no loss to guess. 



