DEATH OF THE STAG 



243 



last I succeeded ; and, having loaded, the poor stag remaining 

 perfectly still, I went up within twenty yards of him, and shot 

 him through the head. He turned over and floated, perfectly 

 dead. I waded in and towed him ashore, and then had leisure 

 to look at my wounds and bruises, which were not serious, 

 except my shin-bone, which was scraped from ankle to knee 

 by his horn. I soon had cleaned my quarry and stowed him 

 away as safely as I could, and then turned down the glen at a 

 gay pace. I found Donald with Bran reposing at Malcolm's 

 shealing ; and for all reproaches on his misconduct, I was satis- 

 fied with sending him to bring home the " muckle hart of Ben- 

 more," a duty which he performed before nightfall. 



BKINGING HOME THE "MUCKLE HARTV 



