CHASE AFTER A POACHER. 187 



" Capital ! Our Parisian friend beats the Italian gentle- 

 man, who exhibited in the forest of Glengarry, all to fits ; 

 though this latter was also of a joyous turn, and a complete 

 contemner of Harpocrates. He was posted, as I have 

 heard, at a deer-drive in one of the best passes, with strict 

 injunctions as to concealment; unfortunately, he made a 

 slight mistake between the letter and spirit of the law. It 

 is true he hid his own person very skilfully, but placed his 

 bonnet aloft on a birch branch (the weather being hot), in 

 rather a commanding situation ; at length, feeling some- 

 what solitary, he began to awaken the echoes by singing 

 Italian airs 



" Eurydice, the woods, Eurydice, the floods, 

 Eurydice the rocks and hollow mountains rung. " 



It is needless to tell you that his Excellency had what is 

 termed " a blank day." 



Although a numerous herd of deer had been brought 

 do\vn, something had evidently gone wrong towards the 

 east. The Count had for some time the merit of this fail- 

 ure ; indeed, if he did not totally spoil the drive it was not 

 his fault. There was another hero, however, who shared 

 the honours with him. It was evident that a large parcel 

 of deer, which ought to have come down, had got the wind 

 of some one on the moor ; the point and manner of then- 

 starting was marked by the hill-men, and two of them, 

 suspecting foul play, went forward to examine the ground. 

 One ot these men held a lurcher in the leash. After explor- 

 ing the moor for some time, they came to a deep ravine. 

 Still they saw no one. But, in following its course a little 

 way, the lurcher held back, stretched forth his neck, and 

 gave a low growl. At this unequivocal sign, one of the 

 men clambered down, and discovered a hind that was newly 

 killed ; and, as he was advancing under a projecting mass 

 of rock, out bolted a kilted man with a gun in his hand ; 

 hot pursuit immediately commenced. The poacher went 

 right up the chasm, down which fell a considerable quantity 

 of water ; the man, who had ascended, followed after him, 

 whilst the other who held the dog remained at top, ready 

 to cap him when he came out. The pursuit was close and 

 hot ; the poacher cutting out good work ; the pace, how- 



