THE SOUND OF MULL. 469 



range they halted, faced the steep, and the leading hart, with 

 arched neck and ears thrown forward, stood staring at some 

 object on the heights above. It was Shamish Weaver, who, 

 by a masterly manoeuvre, was trying to turn them back again 

 into my pass. What a picture was before me ! the old grey 

 man, like a wizard of the mountain, casting a charm over the 

 spell-bound deer. There was the majestic leading stag still 

 as a statue, but yet so graceful and lifelike, petrified at the 

 maniac figure stamping and raging before him. At length he 

 decided on facing the seen danger, and spite of the raving and 

 screaming, and the very peats which the weaver, in his frenzy, 

 hurled down, crossed leisurely within pistol-shot, and gained 

 the wide hill. 



In so clear a wood as Garmony, a rough wind or the foot- 

 prints of a beater will make them burst out anywhere. They 

 will track a man by the foot long after he is gone. Two 

 stalkers, at the close of an unsuccessful day, were resting be- 

 hind a knoll close by a brook. Three harts came down from 

 the hills to drink. Immediately detecting human footsteps, 

 the three antlered heads lowered on the scent in a direct line 

 from the men. One of them raised his rifle, fired at the 

 nearest head, which was the only part of the deer he could 

 see, and, to his utter amazement, found he had killed the 

 three, shooting them all fair through the head ! 



When I doubted the strength of the ball to penetrate three 

 hard skulls, my informant assured me there was no doubt 

 about the matter, and that it was easily proved if I wished. 



There are no roe-deer in Mull, which is an advantage, for 

 when deer and roe haunt the same woods, each frequently 

 mars the sport of the other. The roe, being loath to quit 

 the shelter of a good-sized wood, soon becomes so knowing, 

 and hardened to beaters, that, rather than face open ground, 

 they will turn on the hue and cry, and break through the line 

 like sheep. In roe-shooting, therefore, I always prefer a 

 stanch fox-hound, which exposes all their covert doubles and 



