THE PRACTICE OF DEER-STALKING 145 



concave jnstead of flat. There is thus an enormous 

 amount both of walking and climbing to be done 

 when dealing with these formations among the hills, 

 while on the ridge there is nothing to speak of. As 

 regards the climb from shoulder to ridge, that must 

 be faced in whichever of the two ways the ground is 

 worked. 



It is, of course, impossible to give illustrations 

 of the proper manner in which all kinds of ground 

 should be worked. Local knowledge and expe- 

 rience must decide what is best. But local expe- 

 rience may occasionally err and become tainted 

 with prejudice or by jealousy. I cannot help think- 

 ing that the wind is sometimes blamed when the 

 fault really lies in an exaggerated fear on the part 

 of the owner or his forester lest the neighbour may 

 benefit by sending friends out in the forest when ' she 

 is in the wrong airt.' Great caution in this respect is 

 of course praiseworthy, but I have a suspicion that it 

 is sometimes overdone, and at any rate I have many a 

 time felt for the sorrows of friends who have come to 

 me from other forests with woeful tales of ' wind all 

 wrong the whole time I was at such and such a place ' 

 ' never had my rifle out of its case ' ' hope the 

 wind is not equally bad with you,' &c. It was always 

 a pleasure to be able to assure him that, be the wind 



L 



