ClI. X. HIGHLAND FORESTER. 153 



from Assynt down to near Dunrobin Castle, all fre- 

 quented more or less by deer ; and the gamekeeper 

 at the castle told me that they came down into the 

 woods close to his house, where from good feeding 

 and quiet they became very fine and fat, getting 

 into condition very early in the season. I have fre- 

 quently seen deer late in the evenings fight furiously 

 with their horns, till the noise of their antlers strik- 

 ing against each other sounded far and wide. The 

 two hostile stags meet face to face, and, charging 

 straight at each other like two rams, each endea- 

 voured to turn the flank of the other as if to get a 

 chance of goring him. The weakest, however, seemed 

 always to have a prudent knowledge of when he was 

 overmatched, and, having leaped quickly aside to 

 avoid being gored, he generally retreated without 

 injury. Sometimes, when equally matched, they 

 fight together in this manner for a long time, making 

 a great rattling with their horns. 



Deer-stalking with the Sutherland Highlander 

 seems an almost invincible passion. His constant 

 thoughts and dreams are about the mountain corrie 

 and the stag : get him into conversation on any 

 subject, and by some means it invariably comes 

 round to deer and deer-stalking. He has stories 

 without end, handed down from father to son, of 

 wonderful shots, and dogs that never failed to 



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