LIFE AT ROSEHALL. 49 



his enemies appear, gave a sudden start, and seemed inclined to 

 make off; but on second thoughts he stopped short again, and, 

 lowering his head and neck, crouched in the water, as if trusting 

 to the surrounding rocks for concealment ; and there the poor 

 animal remained, with stooping horns, perfectly motionless, but 

 evidently with every nerve and sense on the alert, listening for 

 the nearer approach of his enemies. For my own part, I became 

 quite interested in watching Donald and the dog ; I knew that the 

 stag was safely ours, as he could not leave the pool without coming 

 into full view, and having to depend on his speed for safety, which 

 in his enfeebled state was the last thing he would like to do. 

 Donald looked anxiously round him sometimes, as if he hoped to 

 see me, and as if he expected to hear my rifle every moment, 

 since he was well aware that our time of meeting was past, and 

 that I was pretty sure not to be far off. 



When he came near the " Devil's Stone" he checked the dog, 

 and came to a determined halt, hesitating whether to^ continue 

 tracking the stag or to wait for my appearance and assistance ; he 

 took a long look, too, at the country far beyond where the animal 

 really was. It was amusing to see the old fellow, as he sat 

 within eighty yards of me, perfectly unconscious that the stag 

 was so near him, and that I was still nearer. The whole thing, 

 too, showed the great necessity of always having a good tracking 

 dog out when deer-stalking ; for here was a mortally-struck stag 

 lying concealed where a dozen men might have passed within a 

 few yards without seeing him. I thought it time to finish the 

 business, and gave a low whistle to warn Donald of my neighbour- 

 hood before I stirred, as I thought it not at all unlikely that he 

 would fire blindly at the first moving thing he saw amongst the 

 rocks in his present excited state. He started and stared round 

 him. I saw that the deer only crouched the lower, and would 

 not move ; so whistling again, I stood up. " The Lord keep us, 

 sir, but you flegged me just awful, " said Donald. " But did 

 your honour see a stag come this way ? " I told him that I had, 

 and that he had passed on ; but I did not say how far he had 

 gone. The old man was annoyed in no slight degree at the 



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