A HART DISCOVERED. 63 



the heather, put their caps in their pocket, and crept forward 

 on their hands and knees to a large granite block ; then, 

 cautiously peering over its summit, they began to examine 

 the ground with their telescopes steadily poised upon it. 

 " Well, Peter, I can see nothing but those eternal hinds on 

 the Mealowr, and not a good hart amongst them : the 

 ground is quite bare ; so jump up, and let us get round 

 the east of the Elrich, and see if there is anything in the 

 corrie. Maclaren, what are you glowriug at?" 



" Why, as sure as deid, I had a blink of a hart lying in 

 the bog by the burn under the Mealowr. But my prospect 

 is foul ; he is lying beyond that great black place in the 

 bog, joost in a line wi' thae hinds wha are on the scalp of 

 the hill aboon." 



" And a noble fellow he is, Maclaren ; I can just see his 

 horns and the point of his shoulders. It is a glorious 

 chance ; for, once in the burn, we can get within a hundred 

 yards of him, and that is near enough in all conscience. 

 Here, Lightfoot, look at the fine fellow ; pull off your cap, 

 and rest the glass on the stone." 



" Not the semblance of a deer can I see ; but I'll take 

 your Avord for it : I dare say he is there, since you say 

 so. And now explain to me how you mean to get at him ; 

 communicate my good fellow ; for it seems, by all your 

 caution, that even at this distance you dare not show a hair 

 of your head." 



" Creep back, then, behind the hill whilst 1 mark the 

 very spot in the burn which is opposite his lair. Well 

 now I will tell you : 



" We must go all round by the east behind yon hill, and 

 then come up at the notch between yon two hills, which 

 will bring us into the bog ; we can then come forward up 

 the burn under cover of its banks, and pass from thence 

 into the bog again by a side wind, when we may take his 

 broadside, and thus have at him. So let us make the best 

 of our way. It would be quite easy to get at the hart, if it 

 were not for the hinds on the top of the hill; but if we 

 start them, and they go on belling, the hart will follow 

 them, whether he sees us or not. Get our wind he cannot. 



" Well, Lightfoot, you have come on capitally; and have 



