292 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



against death, a halt was called, and he was despatched to the 

 head of the quarry to glass the deer. He soon returned, saying 

 the great hart lay beneath a craig, in an excellent position for 

 the drive. A dangerous thing, in my opinion, was then done ; 

 taking every precaution to sink the hill a little, we all 

 to windward of the corrie ; indeed, we could not gain the 

 up which the deer were expected to ascend without doing so. 

 True ! we put the brow of the mountain between us and the 

 corrie ; true ! the stag lay perhaps several hundred or a thousand 

 feet below on the other .side of the mountain ; nevertheless, in 

 these Highland passes, deep corries and glens, the wind, as if it 

 was water, dips and twists in all manner of eddies, and, whatever 

 be the stalker's position above or below the deer, if he is in the 

 least degree to windward, he is never safe from detection and 

 consequent defeat. Having thus passed the corrie, and gained 

 a position better suited to the direction of the blast, Lord 

 Mahnsbury having chosen the pass at which he would stand, we 

 drew lots for the others. I have no luck, and never win a draw 

 or toss ; so, what was deemed by those who drew with me the 

 most ineligible situation of course became mine. The mountain's 

 brow was left as my position, exposed to the bitter wind and 

 rain, without the vestige of a stone large enough for shelter, 

 with the space of two hours to wait for the posting of the other 

 guns before the commencement of the drive. This time, how- 

 ever, ill as the wind was, it brought me luck ; for, on the lower 

 and more sheltered passes being selected. Lord Malmsbm-y, as 

 well as John Stuart, told me that mine was the likeliest post for 

 a shot of all. I did not mind the weather then ! so, spreading 

 my plaid to lie on, I couched among small grey stones, and 

 watched the sky-line for the first appearance of the drivers. I 

 saw them, at first not larger, to all appearance, than blackcocks, 

 and then they descended into the quarry. How eagerly I 

 watched for the monster's horns to appear above the edge of the 

 precipice can only be known to a sportsman; but, alas! the 

 whistle of a blackcock's wing, or the alarm note of an old cock 

 grouse, was all I saw or heard ; the stag was not in the quarry, 



