364 ANOTHER DA V WITH MR. WINANS 



doon, sir; the gentleman's other barrel is not off yet !" ' 

 What makes it still more amusing was that both of 

 them being soldiers, the gillie expressed his belief to 

 his friends afterwards that they were only practising 

 professionally by firing at each other, and as he feared 

 he might get hit himself, he pulled his man out of 

 danger. The result of the day's sport was thirty-one 

 stags, all with good heads, and we might have shot a 

 hundred. 



A month or two later, Mr. Winans sent me an 

 invitation to go up with him again the day following, 

 provided the wind was north-east ; and I accordingly 

 went. Before we started, he used some very strong 

 language to his butler for not having sent out sufficient 

 luncheon, and I remarked, ' There is no luck in using 

 such strong expressions ;' and sure enough 1 was right, 

 for on nearing Dany, a place where the horses were 

 usually fed and rested, the latter, which were going 

 full gallop, turned sharp round to the stable-yard 

 before Mr. Winans could collect himself. I un- 

 buttoned and loosed the apron, and threw myself out, 

 carrying Mr. Winans with me ; for I saw that the 

 wheel must go over a bank and upset the trap, which 

 event did occur, and the buggy was smashed into 

 match-wood in about five seconds. It was turned 

 right over ; and the horses kicked it to bits, leaving 

 the wheels and axle together ; one horse going up to 

 Dany with the pole, and the other, jumping the bank, 

 galloping back six miles to Struy. It was a pretty 

 considerable go ; we had six miles yet to travel, and 

 Mr. Winans was swearing that his shoulder was dis- 

 located — altogether, a fine result, due, I suppose, to the 

 'prayers' before starting. We were lucky enough to 



