72 DEER-STALKING. 



blowing sharply from the best "airt," the east, and 

 wished to go to the extreme end of the ground. Mount- 

 ing my pony, I told him to give me a lead, and without 

 a word more off he started at a trot. For about four 

 miles we jogged along, the track being fairly good, and 

 then we came to a hill, which Archie said was fifteen 

 hundred feet high, and slowly we toiled up the zigzag 

 path, at times approaching so near the edges of precipices, 

 that if I had not seen his pony go first, and take no 

 notice of them, I should have felt nervous about going so 

 near. What with the steepness, the size and looseness 

 of the stones, it was hard work for the ponies, and 

 several times we had to stop and rest them; but at 

 last the top was reached and the descent began over 

 much the same ground, only the ponies went faster, 

 and then another trot along a pretty level four miles 

 more brought us to a small shepherd's bothy, where the 

 ponies were to be left, and we had just been two hours 

 doing the twelve miles. 



We were soon off again, and after a scrambling walk 

 of about two miles along the side of a loch, we reached 

 the march. Then commenced the ascent of the over- 

 hanging hills, and in spite of the sharp east wind, I 

 was something more than warm when we gained the 

 first spying-place. Out came the glasses, Archie with 

 his telescope, I with the binoculars. It was only a small 

 corrie, and making sure nothing was there, I could not 

 help turning my attention to the prospect around me. 

 The day was perfect a steady breeze, a bright blue sky, 

 a few white clouds drifting rapidly overhead ; the out- 

 lines of the very distant hills clear and well-defined 



