114 DEER-STALKING. ClI. XXVI. 



uttered his wild cry close to us, and then flitting 

 past our faces, alighted on the opposite side of 

 the avenue we were walking along, and recom- 

 menced his song of bad omen, " If it wasn't 

 so dark, I'd empty the gun into his ugly craig." 

 However, as it ivas so dark, the owl escaped being 

 sacrificed to Donald's dislike this time ; and we soon 

 reached the house, where the comforts of my own 

 dressing-room were by no means unacceptable after 

 so long an absence from razor, brushes, &c. 



