88 DEER-STALKING. 



waited for Donald's re-appearance. At last about six 

 o'clock he came ; we soon had the pony loaded, and 

 thought to save our daylight and be home in good 

 time. The Fates, however, willed otherwise : ere a 

 quarter of a mile had been negotiated the girths of 

 the deer-saddle broke, and stag and saddle came tum- 

 bling off; it did not seem a bad break, was quickly 

 mended, and the advance resumed. A short distance 

 more was covered when the girths again gave way, and 

 deer and saddle rolled together into a deep pool of 

 a burn and disappeared entirely, save the two hind 

 legs. With a deal of pulling from all four of us they 

 were hauled out, and we once more set to work to 

 repair damages ; it took longer than the first operation, 

 but satisfied at length that our work would now hold, 

 the pony was saddled and the royal replaced. Again 

 we proceed in comfort for some distance, when a sudden 

 effort of the pony to keep his feet in a stumble undid 

 all, and saddle and stag laid at our feet for the third 

 time. Both the gillies were now all for leaving him, 

 but we determined not to be beaten without one more 

 try, so to work again we went. It was now nearly 

 dark, but by the aid of a box of wax matches, and 

 with the assistance of the united boot-laces of the 

 whole party, we again made matters good for another 

 start. This had taken the best part of an hour to do, 

 and it was now quite dark ; but by holding up the stag 

 at every rough place, we at length reached home a 

 few minutes before ten o'clock. We found our grouse 

 shooter, who had brought home twenty-seven brace, 

 well-nigh famished, as he had politely waited dinner 



