ECHOES OF THE CHASE 55 



crossed the- burn which formed the march without 

 restraint. Once, so runs the tale, a herd of these 

 wild creatures trooped down to a glen near Comrie. 

 A heavy fall of snow covered the ground and 

 provender was difficult to find on the high grounds. 

 During the course of the night the unexpected 

 visitors made free with the stacks of a farmer in the 

 glen, retiring to their snow-bound retreat among the 

 hills before the arrival of daylight revealed the havoc 

 which had been wrought in the steading. When the 

 farmer discovered the loss which he had suffered, he 

 blamed his sons for their supposed carelessness in 

 allowing the stirks to pull down the corn. The sons 

 disarmed his wrath by showing him the stirks securely 

 tied up in the byres. A search soon explained the 

 mystery ; for the deer had left indisputable proofs of 

 their nocturnal frolics in the snow. The state of the 

 weather rendered it likely that the deer would repeat 

 their adventure the following evening. A trap was 

 therefore laid for the peccant quadrupeds. Some 

 loose sheaves of grain were thrown upon the snow at 

 one of the entrances to a byre, which was furnished 

 with a door at each end. Ropes were attached to 

 both the doors in such a way that they could be 

 closed at will by the party of watchers. The evening 

 came, and the frost was very severe. A good many 



