A GOOD SHOT. 101 



meeting them on the other side. I ran after him till I 

 could run no longer, but on he went, always beckoning 

 me to follow ; so again I raised a trot and stumbled 

 along after him wet through with perspiration, and 

 my heart bumping against my ribs as if it would knock 

 its way out. Again I stop to a walk, again I am 

 beckoned on, this time frantically ; and once more I 

 raise a trot, and then, thank goodness, I find I am 

 going on the flat, and soon, better still, stumbling along 

 down-hill. There are a few big rocks in front of us, 

 and to my great relief, behind one of these John drops. 

 He pulls the stops back and hands me the rifle, whis- 

 pering, " They are no by yet." A few minutes pass, and 

 I am not puffing and blowing quite so hard as I hear 

 him say, " They are coming now/' And so they do a 

 splendid sight to see. I whisper to him to pick me out 

 a big one ; some twenty pass us and he makes no sign, 

 then he murmurs, " Now take this one just coming into 

 sight." I sit firm, and planting my elbows on my 

 thighs, press the rifle to my shoulder. As I do so comes 

 the caution : " Aim low, they are barely fifty yards," 

 and just in time to remind me; so lowering the sight 

 till I could almost see daylight under my quarry, I press 

 the trigger, and the gallant stag drops almost motionless 

 in his tracks. So quickly do the others turn and break 

 down-hill that there is no chance offered of using the 

 other barrel. I am, however, quite satisfied ; and while 

 the gillie does the gralloch, I lay flat on my back, 

 and with eyes shut soon recover my breath. Here fol- 

 lows a pipe and a drop of whiskey, and over it I thank 

 John warmly for his friendly caution of " aim low," for 



