MV FIRST STALK 343 



picture of his ancestor, the well-known Archie Lovat, 

 who, making himself too notorious, lost his head. 

 Both men were possessed of indomitable will, and 

 it is no wonder that when he set his mind on carry- 

 ing out any project, whether in the way of sport or 

 for the benefit of his property or country, he was suc- 

 cessful. He so increased the value of the estates that 

 his successors will reap untold benefit thereby, and as 

 a sportsman and county gentleman his fame is well 

 known. 



As may be supposed, I was overjoyed at the invita- 

 tion and the chance of grouse-shooting and deer- 

 stalking, carried out as both were in so princely and 

 sportsmanlike a manner, for up to that time my experi- 

 ence of shooting had been chiefly confined to such 

 sport as I had been able to obtain with the snipe and 

 rough shooting in Ireland, or some very few days' 

 covert-shooting in England. I had been in the habit 

 of shooting at Wimbledon, and was a tolerable shot 

 with a rifle, and the chance of being able to test my 

 powers at the real thing was the cause of no little ex- 

 citement to me, and, as I could see, delighted my host. 



The forest was some twenty-three miles distant from 

 Beaufort, and it was Lord Lovat's custom to go there 

 on the Sunday and return on the Saturday, each week 

 taking with him a different party of friends. The 

 incidents of my first drive to Braulen (the shooting 

 lodge) are as tresh in my memory as ever, and every 

 incident and word are as indelibly impressed on my mind 

 as if it had been but yesterday. The scenery was all 

 new to me, and very beautiful ; but 1 caused my hosts 

 much amusement by my ignorance of deer-stalking 

 and surprise that a forest should have no trees on it. 



