146 DEER-STALKING 



what it might, we would try to get him a shot 

 somehow. 



On the other hand, the friend when he goes out 

 should endeavour to think of others besides himself 

 and his own sport, and should not try to bully or cajole 

 the stalker into allowing him to spoil the chances of 

 the man who was to go out next day. Almost the 

 only scoldings I have ever had to give my servants 

 were for allowing themselves to be persuaded by the 

 ' gentleman ' into doing what they knew was wrong. 

 The youngest of these men has been in my service 

 twenty-five years, and they are all well trained by this 

 time if a story is true (which I greatly doubt) that 

 was told me with great glee by a friend who had tried 

 his best to get the stalker to allow him to go after a 

 good beast which they had spied on ground off his beat. 

 The man replied that it was as much as his life was 

 worth. ' You mean as much as your place was worth,' 

 said my friend. * Not at all,' he rejoined, ' I well 

 believe Lochiel would shoot me if I were to take you 

 on to that hill, as he intends stalking there himself 

 to-morrow.' I was not conscious of deserving a 

 character so ferocious, but I did not soon hear the 

 last of the incident. 



Much more ground is got over in a day at the 

 present time than was the case formerly, owing to the 



