LIFE AT KOSEHALL. 39 



experience in making red deer hams, unless Malcolm was very 

 much slandered by his neighbours ; nevertheless, he had promised 

 me not to poach on my ground, and knowing that I trusted quite 

 to his honour, I believe that he neither did so himself nor allowed 

 any one else to do so. 



" You are ower good, your Honour ; and the mither will be 

 glad of a bit venison ; it's a long time now since I killed a deer." 



" When was the last, Malcolm ? " I asked. 



" Ou, mony a day sine, sir ; but, to tell the truth, it is only 

 yesterday since I fired at one." 



" And where was that, Malcolm ? " 



" Why, if your Honour wants to know, and I am sure you will 

 do no ill turn to a lad for taking a shoot, I'll just tell you." 



I could not help smiling at Malcolm's describing himself as a 

 lad. He stood six feet three inches without his shoes, and a 

 perfect giant in every proportion, but strong and active withal, 

 and a capital stalker, being able to wind his great body about 

 through moss and heather in a manner that was quite marvellous. 

 Malcolm's account, then, was, that a shepherd on an adjoining 

 property, or rather on one divided from where we were by a long 

 lake, had asked him to come up some evening with his gun to 

 " fleg " some deer that had been destroying his little crop of oats. 

 Well, Malcolm had gone ; and the evening before T met him he 

 had fired in the dusk at a stag with a handful of large slugs ; the 

 deer was hit and crippled, but had thrown out the collie dogs 

 which had pursued him by taking to the water and apparently 

 swimming the loch. If he had managed to cross he must be on 

 my side of it, and I might by chance fall in with him on my 

 return home the next day in some of the burns and glens through 

 which I should have to walk. I did not blame Malcolm much, 

 knowing the mischief done by deer to the shepherd's little crops ; 

 besides which the ground where he had shot this stag was not 

 preserved or used as a forest by the owner. 



We had a weary walk, though enlivened by Malcolm's con- 

 versation. Without his company and guidance I should have had 

 some difficulty in finding my way through the rough ground over 



