DEER-STALKING. 215 



tops, an imitation of the old Scotch castle so much 

 affected by the last and some of the present generation 

 of Highland proprietors, for a day's stalking on the 

 best ground of a celebrated forest. 



I eat the breakfast of health and good con- 

 science, giving the preference to porridge and milk 

 over tea and coffee, fried eggs and hashed venison 

 over finnon haddocks and ham, winding up with a 

 glass of the splendid water, with, perhaps, a slight 

 clash of iron in it, which wells up close above the 

 house, and then jump into the dog-cart and drive 

 up the glen to the place appointed, where Donald 

 and Archie are sitting in the heather above the 

 road, spying, of course, the face of the hill opposite 

 with an interest which, considering we are not 

 going on that side at all to-day, seems a waste of 

 research. On the roadside, too, is a long-limbed 

 laddie with a couple of ponies duly caparisoned 

 with deer-saddles, from whence hang infinite straps. 

 At the age, dear reader, which we have both 

 agreed shall be ours during this day's stalk, and 



