54 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RED DEER 



for besides their bowes and arrows which they carry 

 with them, wee can heare now and then a harquebuse 

 or a musquet goe off, which doe seldom discharge in 

 vaine ; then after we had stayed about three hours or 

 thereabouts, we might perceive the deer appeare on 

 the hills round about us (their heads making a shew 

 like a wood), which being followed close by the 

 Tinckhell, are chased down into the valley where we 

 lay ; then all the valley on each side being way-laid 

 with a hundred couple of strong Irish grey-hounds, 

 they are let loose as occasion serves upon the heard 

 of deere, that with dogs, gunnes, arrows, durks, and 

 daggers, in the space of two hours, fourscore fat deere 

 were slaine, which after we disposed of some one 

 way and some another, twenty or thirty miles, and 

 more than enough left for us to make merry withall 

 at our rendevouze. Being come to our lodgings, there 

 was such a baking, boyling, rosting and stewing, as 

 if Cook Ruffian had been there to have scalded the 

 Devil in his feathers.' 



Traditions of lawless forays among the mountains 

 still survive in many remote districts of the Highlands. 

 Thus old folks say that the wild stags and hinds of 

 Glenartney Forest used to roam at pleasure between 

 their favourite sanctuary and Arbruchel hill. There 

 was no fence to restrict their liberty, so the deer 



