196 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



the picturesque-looking place where we expected to find the 

 deer — a high conical hill, rising out of rather flat ground, which 

 gave it an appearance of being of a greater height than it really 

 was. We took a most careful survey of the slope on which 

 Donald expected to see the deer. Below was an extensive 

 level piece of heather with a burn running through it in an end- 

 less variety of windings, and fringed with green rushes and 

 grass, which formed a strong contrast to the dark -coloured 

 moor through which it made its way, till it emptied itself into 

 a long narrow loch, beyond which rose Ben Cleebrich and some 

 more of the highest mountains in Scotland. In vain we looked 

 and looked, and Donald at last shut up his telescope in despair : 

 " They are no' here the day," was his remark. " But what is 

 that, Donald ? " said I, pointing to some bluish-looking object 

 I saw at some distance from us, rising out of the heather. The 

 glass was turned towards it, and after having been kept motion- 

 less for some time, he pronounced it to be the head and neck 

 of a hind. I took the glass, and while I was looking at it, I 

 saw a fine stag rise suddenly from some small hollow near her, 

 stretch himself, and lie down again. Presently six more hinds 

 and a two-year-old stag got up, and after walking about for a 

 few minutes, they, one by one, lay down again, but every one 

 seemed to take up a position commanding a view of the whole 

 country. We crept back a few paces, and then getting into 

 the course of the burn, got within three hundred yards of 

 the deer, but by no means whatever could we get nearer. The 

 stag was a splendid fellow, with ten points, and regular, fine- 

 shaped horns. Bran winded them, and watched us most 

 earnestly, as if to ask why we did not try to get at them. The 

 sensible dog, however, kept quite quiet, as if aware of the 

 importance of not being seen or heard. Donald asked me 

 what o'clock it was ; I told him that it was just two. " Well, 

 well, Sir, we must just wait here till three o'clock, when the 

 deer will get up to feed, and most likely the isrutes will travel 

 towards the burn. The Lord save us, but yon's a muckle 

 beast." Trusting to his experience, I waited patiently, employ- 

 ing myself in attempting to dry my hose by wringing them, 

 and placing them in the sun. Donald took snuff and watched 

 the deer, and Bran laid his head on his paws as if asleep, but 

 his sharp eye, and ear pricked up on the slightest movement, 



