182 DAYS OF DEKR-STA LKING. 



wet you above your waist ; plunge through at once. Well 

 done, stout Sandy, you bear yourself like a true man." 



" Time, indeed, was waning fast, for it was long since the 

 birchin-leaves had trembled and glittered in the sunbeams, 

 and the golden splendour, which so lately slept upon the 

 mountain-top, had already died away, consigning it to its 

 own stern and rugged nature. The air was coming up the 

 glen, dank and chill ; hill, brae, wood, and precipice were 

 beginning to mingle in one universal melancholy mass. 



The hart had got into the river Mark, just above the 

 spot where it comes brawling into the Tilt ; it was one of 

 those deep chasms where the sunbeam never enters ; in 

 most places the rocks dropped steep, smooth, and shelving 

 down to the flood. There were huge blocks of granite in the 

 channel, anditseemed wonderful how the vexed animal could 

 have got into the dark chasm in which he stood. But there 

 he was the torrent at his feet, and the long bony arm of a 

 blasted birch stretched over him. Douglas stood baying at 

 the point of a rock above, venting his vain wrath, and 

 making stoops as if he would plunge down from that " bad 

 eminence," but, sensible of his danger, he as often drew 

 back ; various were the attempts he made to come in at 

 some other place, but still he was obliged to return to his 

 first position. Tortoise now came up with Croinie; she 

 was a most sagacious animal, and it was her custom to do 

 the thing as coolly as possible, always running before the 

 deer till she came to a convenient part of the river, when 

 she turned in and headed him. This method she took in 

 the present instance, and was soon swimming before his 

 antlers. 



But the stout animal would probably have remained im- 

 moveable in his position till the hound perished with cold 

 and fatigue, hadheseeu no other enemies indeed, he seemed 

 to hold both dogs in thorough contempt ; but when Tortoise 

 stood before him, for a moment he raised up his stately 

 crest, and waved his broad antlers to the right and left, 

 gazing restlessly around him, then plunged at once down 

 the torrent, trampled upon the hound, and bounded out far 

 below, gaining the open birch-copse that skirted the banks 

 of the Tilt. The hounds kept on their course, following 



