SIZE OF RHIDOROCH HINDS 329 



in your ear, sir, or some such sound, the day is so still;' 

 but just as he spoke another unmistakable roar was 

 audible. ' You're right, sir ; and it's the first time we 

 ever heard a stao- there : and we must oret rio-ht round 

 the wind, and we shall have to go up to my house 

 before we can do so, which is two miles off whatever,' 

 said Sutherland. ' But,' I asked, 'would it not be as 

 well to get a spy before going, and see how the land 

 lies .'^' 'No,' he answered; 'unless the deer are in 

 the far east side of this corrie, the moment our heads 

 go over the sky-line they will wind us at once ;' and so 

 we wended our way without satisfying our curiosity, 

 knowing full well that the roar was that of a good stag. 

 After half an hour's climbing round the march we 

 reached the desired spot before turning up to have a 

 look at our quarry. The sheep, which, by the way, 

 had no business there, constantly interrupted our 

 progress, but by crawling carefully past them and 

 moving them quietly up wind, they kept out of the 

 corrie, and we at length managed to crawl within sight 

 of a lot of hinds, some of which were feeding quite 

 close to us, others some three hundred yards off 

 There were altogether about forty of them, and some 

 of* them were the largest hinds I ever saw in any 

 Forest — indeed, as heavy as many stags which I have 

 known shot in some forests. I fancy these Rhidoroch 

 hinds must be noted for their size, for many of tliose 

 which we shot weighed 15 stone, and some even 16 

 stone. 



It was evident that the stag we were after was lying 

 somewhere out of sight. William Sutherland turned 

 to me and said, ' I believe that this is the big stag 

 which I have stalked nine times this season, and each 



