40 iv/LD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



like the spirit of the mountain, he walked slowly on towards a 

 ridge which connected two shoulders of the mountain together. 

 Frequently he stopped, and scratched with his hoof at some 

 lichen - covered spot, feeding slowly (quite unconscious of 

 danger) on the moss which he separated from the stones. I 

 drew my shot, and put bullets into both barrels, and we fol- 

 lowed him cautiously, creeping through the winding hollows of 

 the rocks, sometimes advancing towards the stag, and at other 

 times obliged suddenly to throw ourselves flat on the face of 

 the stony mountain, to avoi4 his piercing gaze, as he turned 

 frequently round to see that no enemy was following in his 

 track. 



He came at one time to a ridge from which he had a clear 

 view of a long stretch of the valley beneath. Here he halted 

 to look down either in search of his comrades or to see that all 

 was safe in that direction. I could see the tops of his horns 

 as they remained perfectly motionless for several minutes on 

 the hbrizon. We immediately made on for the place, crawling 

 like worms over the stones, regardless of bruises and cuts. 

 We were within about eighty yards of the points of his horns ; 

 the rest of the animal was invisible, being concealed by a mass 

 of stone behind which he was standing. I looked over my 

 shoulder at Donald, who answered my look with a most 

 significant kind of silent chuckle ; and, pointing at his knife, 

 as if to say that we should soon require its services, he signed 

 to me to move a little to the right hand, to get the animal free 

 of the rock, which prevented my shooting at him. I rolled 

 myself quietly a little to one side, and then silently cocking 

 both barrels, rose carefully and slowly to one knee. I had 

 already got his head and neck within my view, and in another 

 instant would have had his shoulder. My finger was already 

 on the trigger, and I was rising gradually an inch or two 

 higher. The next moment he would have been mine, when, 

 without apparent cause, he suddenly moved, disappearing from 

 our sight in an instant behind the rocks. I should have risen 

 upright, and probably should have got a shot ; but Donald's 

 hand was laid on my head without ceremony, holding me 

 down. He whispered, " The muckle brute has na felt us ; we 

 shall see him again in a moment." We waited for a few 

 mjni}t?s, alniost: afraid to breathe, wheri Dopald, with a move' 



