POACHERS' ADVENTURE. 199 



Side, they were overtaken by a snow storm ; it was not 

 however severe, and when it cleared up, the wind being 

 north, they soon got a parcel of deer out of the forest of 

 Atholl : these made a long start, as they always do when 

 the wind is in that quarter ; thus the men had them quite 

 away from the preserved part of the forest, and in a situa- 

 tion where they were not likely to be interfered with. 



After considerable manoeuvring, which occupied the 

 greater part of the day, they wounded a hind, and traced 

 her a long distance by her blood-drops on the snow. In 

 the meantime, as the day drew near a close, the wind rose, 

 and the snow-blast returned with greater violence ; and 

 having been intent on following the traces of the wounded 

 deer, they had wandered about till they were completely 

 lost. In this condition they heaped up a few stones and 

 turfs, and having their plaids, and some oat-cake and 

 whiskey with them, passed the night without any very 

 serious inconvenience. 



The dawn brought no alleviation to their anxiety ; the 

 winds howled, and the snow fell, so that no outline of 

 mountain or landmark could be seen. It was now no 

 longer a question of killing deer, but of saving their lives. 

 The wind, which continued north, was their only guide, and 

 by turning their back upon it, they avoided the brunt of 

 the storm, and had hopes of reaching Glen Tilt or the Strath 

 of the Tay. The snow had drifted in such masses, that 

 they were unable to pursue any decided line, and it was so 

 deep in all places where the wind had not acted upon it, 

 that their advance was very slow and laborious. 



The small stock of provisions which they took out with 

 them was exhausted ; the wind got more into the east a 

 change they were not aware of so that in turning their 

 backs upon it, they travelled towards the west instead of 

 towards the south, as they fancied they were doing. 



At length, when night was setting in, they saw a deep 

 and unknown glen of joyless aspect before them ; they 

 descended into it, to avoid the bleak winds of the summits, 

 and had proposed to put up a few stones and turfs for 

 shelter during the dark hours. Whilst they were looking 

 for a convenient spot, to their great relief they discovered a 



