252 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



goats there were none visible, so we continued in a westerly 

 direction, and presently saw a few nannies and kids, but no 

 billies. All the deer on the island seemed congregated on this 

 face, fully exposed to the wind as it was, and all were moving 

 upward to lessen the plague of flies in the stronger breezes 

 above a pretty addition to the picture as they lined the ridges 

 and stood fully exposed on the skyline. They looked down 

 at us, and no doubt wondered at our antics as we moved slowly 

 and carefully on, spying frequently as we turned our faces to 

 the south. At last we discovered a herd of eighteen, billies and 

 nannies, crossing the valley below towards a hill overlooking 

 the Atlantic end of the famous whirlpool of Corryvreachkan 

 between Scarba and Jura. White and in various shades of 

 brown and black, they had been feeding below us, but startled 

 by some young stags which we had disturbed but not seen, were 

 now running up the hill at a very smart pace. "With the aid 

 of a glass we saw among them a beauty, brown and white, with 

 a grand head, and at once made up our minds to try for him. 

 But what a long way off he then seemed ! Fated to die, how- 

 ever, he himself helped us as much as lay in his power. Love 

 led to his death death which indeed he may have wished for 

 on seeing himself abandoned by his favourite wives. When the 

 herd which we were watching through the glass had got half-way 

 up the hill our friend and another very fine fellow suddenly 

 turned round, trotted down again and disappeared. The latter 

 presently returned with two nannies, which he drove at a sharp 

 trot after the others, butting at them all the while, and exceed- 

 ingly angry no doubt at their having stayed behind. The other 

 billy did not return, but went still further back, also after two 

 white females who had made off in the opposite direction. After 

 a while he stopped on a high rock casting longing looks after 

 them, but too proud further to follow his faithless loves, he 

 slowly turned to rejoin the herd, and was soon hidden from 

 view. This gave us our chance. We ran, crept, and slithered 

 down the hill to cut him off, carefully keeping out of sight, and 

 peeping over a ridge after a while saw our friend below us 

 looking lovingly towards the nannies. It was quite touching 

 to watch him tear himself away at last and walk off; but in 

 turning he saw us and rapidly made off, the bullet, as we after- 

 wards found, only grazing his hind quarters. A sharp run at 



