1- DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



ever (owing to the nature of the ground), was a bad one in 

 itself. But who can make rapid way up a stony cataract? 

 They scrambled and splashed, and fell forward on their 

 hands, and cut their shins, climbing over masses of rock 

 that were lying in . the channel, and jumping from them 

 into the water-course, till, at length, the Duke's man got 

 hold of the delinquent's foot as he was just springing from 

 a rock above him. 



" Hand him fast, Donald, man dinna lowse him dinna 

 let him gang awa at ony gait" 



" Nae fear ava. The de'il a man ever got frae me when 

 it aince cam' to close grups." 



He was completely mistaken, however, for the fugitive 

 slipped out his foot, and left his shoe only prisoner, which 

 the wrathful hillman sent at his head, accompanied by 

 some thundering Gaelic anathema. And now the poacher 

 dropped his gun ; perhaps he meant it as a lure, like the 

 fabled golden apple ; or, perhaps, it was done to favour his 

 speed. However this may be, he certainly made much 

 better play without it. 



When Donald, who was on the banks of the ravine, saw 

 how things were going on, he took advantage of the even 

 ground, headed him, and then came down into the chasm 

 in front of him, so that our worthy friend was placed be- 

 tween two fires. 



Thus have I seen two cunning terriers hem in a poaching 

 fox : they rage and press closely upon him, whilst the 

 woods and mountains ring with their shrill clamour. Mean- 

 while the insulted beast, fixed in a position from which he 

 sees no escape, bears his brush against a rock, shows his 

 white teeth, and commences gallant defensive warfare. 

 Not so our hero ; he thought little of deeds of arms ; of 

 fine and imprisonment much. The spectre turnkey was be- 

 fore him, and ugly visions of high grated walls and solitary 

 dungeons made him desperate. With the vault of Grimaldi 

 he seized hold of an impending branch of birch, swung 

 himself aloft by strength of arm, and fairly escaped from 

 the abyss, leaving his enemies gazing up from below. He 

 got a capital start, for the hill-men could not extricate 

 themselves with the same alacrity. 



