An October Day in the Forest 



The hinds soon began to feed out too far for the stag's liking,; 

 he rose, somewhat wearily, to his feet once more and rounded 

 up his wives till they all fed together in a compact body. 



Having reached Loch an Duin, at the county march be- 

 tween Inverness and Perth, we left the path and struck 

 up the steep face of that rounded hill known as the Dun, 

 or, as it is more commonly, though incorrectly, spelled, 

 Doune. 



Near the top of this hill one or two stags could be seen, 

 and good beasts were expected to be found beyond the ridge, 

 for the ground had been undisturbed for a month. 



Near the track was lying the shed antler of an old stag, 

 partly eaten . Stags are fond of chewing their cast horns, and 

 in this connexion the following story is interesting. A farmer 

 was greatly troubled by stags, which were ruining his crops, 

 He was advised to shoot a couple and hang them up in a 

 prominent position so that other marauders might take warn^ 

 ing. This he did, but, far from the other beasts being terrified 

 by the bodies of their former comrades, the very next day the 

 survivors were seen eating the horns of the slain deer as 

 they hung a little above the ground ! 



The wind had now veered into the north-west. 



As we reached the high ground Loch an Duin lay beneath 

 us, the wavelets on its surface glittering in the sunlight. A 

 strong and uncertain wind was sweeping the loch, now from 

 the south, now from the north, and many ripples crossed and 

 recrossed its dark waters. Down the glen lay Loch Bhradain 

 with Gaick Lodge showing in the distance. 



We remarked on how green the hills were for this late 

 season, but in the year when this chapter was written October 

 was actually warmer than August, despite an almost complete 

 lack of sun during its first ten days. 



Near the top of the Dun grouse passed us, flying swiftly 

 down wind, and by their terrified appearance showing that 

 the eagle was not far off. From afar came the deep croak of 

 a raven. The hill-top reached, each likely corrie was 



i6s 



