38 LIFE AT ROSEHALL. 



wished to get. He ran on without slackening his pace for at least 

 a hundred yards, then suddenly fell with a crash to the ground, 

 his horns rattling against the stones. I knew he was perfectly 

 dead, so, calling the dog, ran up to him. The stag was quite 

 motionless, and lay stretched out where he fell. I found on open- 

 ing him that the ball had passed through the lower part of his 

 heart a wound I should have imagined sufficient to have deprived 

 any animal of life and motion instantaneously. But I have shot 

 several deer through the heart, and have observed that when hit 

 low they frequently ran from twenty to eighty yards. If, however, 

 the ball has passed through the upper part of the heart, or has 

 cut the large blood-vessels immediately above it, death has been 

 instantaneous, the animal dropping without a struggle. 



Having duly admired and examined the poor stag, not without 

 the usual compunction at having put an end to his life, I set to 

 work, bleeding and preparing him for being left on the hill till the 

 next day, secure from attacks of ravens and eagles ; then, having 

 taken my landmarks so as to be sure of finding him again, I 

 started on my march to the shepherd's house, looking rather 

 anxiously round at the increasing length of my shadow and the 

 diminished height of the sun ; as I had to pass some very boggy 

 ground with which I was not very well acquainted. I had not 

 gone a quarter of a mile, however, when I saw the shepherd him- 

 self making his way homewards. I gave a loud whistle to catch 

 his attention, and having joined him, I took him back to show 

 the exact place where the stag was lying, to save myself the 

 trouble of returning the next day. Malcolm was rather an ally 

 of mine, and his delight was great at seeing the stag. 



" 'Deed aye, sir ; it's just the muckle red stag hiinsel' ; 

 mony a time I've seen the bonny beast. Save us ! how red his 

 pile is ! " 



" Yes, he is a fine beast, Malcolm ; and you must bring your 

 gray pony for him to-morrow. I must have the head and one 

 haunch down to the house ; take the rest to your mother ; I 

 daresay she can salt it." 



I knew pretty well that this good lady must have had some 



