NEW MANCEUTRES. 221 



yet." So saying they strove through the deep channels of 

 the peat moss, cowering low, and cutting off the angle with 

 all speed, till they got fairly within shot. 



Now there is one point in deer-stalking that is the most 

 provoking and tantalising thing in the world ; and as it 

 happens pretty often, so it occurred in the present instance. 

 The riflemen, I said, were within distance : so indeed they 

 were ; but the harts skulked up a deep channel in the moss 

 in such a way that nothing but the points of their horns 

 were to be seen. It was in vain to run after so small a 

 parcel ; that would only give them a rapid start, and set 

 them clean away at once. Thus not a shot was fired, and 

 fortunately no one committed suicide. 



The harts now joined the hinds, and all went slowly up 

 the western face of Cairn-cherie. 



As soon as they were all fairly settled in their new 

 position, a fresh reconnoissance took place the deer had 

 so taken up their ground that they were not within shot 

 either from the top or base of the hill, each of which points 

 the riflemen could have gained unseen by them. The party 

 went forward to the foot of the hill. 



" Noble fellows ! cunning devils ! what is to be done 

 now ? " said Lightfoot, " Do you think we shall kill them 

 all? Can you bring us near them in fine style; cannot we 

 come down upon them from the rocks above, and put them 

 all to sudden death ? " 



" To sudden flight we may easily : but know that there 

 is no place in the whole forest so ticklish as this; the 

 ground, on the summit, is so varied with high rocks, flats, 

 and hollows, that currents and swells of air pass in almost 

 all directions, and the difficulty will be to get near the 

 deer, and keep the wind ; but I know the ground well ; 

 aye, every inch of it, quite as well as my own cabin at 

 Bruar." 



" Aye, ye're weel acquent with it, for the beasties ha' bin 

 ow'r canny for ye whiles amang thae rocks." 



" Hush, hush, my good fellow, no tales." 



" Na, I canna but say that ye ha' had good sport there 

 too, but sure ye'll no be forgetting the big hart that gat a 

 glifF o' ye, and skelped awa through the moss, joost as ye 



