282 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



minister." " Why, Donald, I meant to say that we shall soon 

 see whether they are canny or not : a rifle-ball is a sure remedy 

 for all witchcraft." Certainly there was something rather 

 startling in the way they all suddenly appeared as it were from 

 the bowels of the mountain, and the deliberate, unconcerned 

 manner in which they set to work feeding like so many tame 

 cattle. 



We had but a short distance to stalk. I kept the course 

 of a small stream which led through the middle of the herd ; 

 Donald followed me with my ' gun. We crept up till we 

 reckoned that we must belvithin an easy shot, and then, looking 

 most cautiously through the crevices and cuts in the bank, I 

 saw that we were in the very centre of the herd : many of the 

 deer were within twenty or thirty yards, and all feeding quickly 

 and unconscious of any danger. Amongst the nearest to me 

 was a remarkably large hind, which we had before observed as 

 being the leader and biggest of the herd. I made a sign to 

 Donald that I would shoot her, and left him to take what he 

 liked of the flock after I fired. 



Taking a deliberate and cool aim at her shoulder, I pulled 

 the trigger ; but, alas ! the wet had got between the cap and 

 nipple-end. All that followed was a harmless snap : the deer 

 heard it, and starting from their food rushed together in a 

 confused heap as if to give Donald a fair chance at the entire 

 flock, a kind of shot he rather rejoiced in. Before I could get 

 a dry cap on my gun, snap, snap, went both his barrels ; and 

 when I looked up, it was but to see the whole herd quietly 

 trotting up the hill, out of shot, but apparently not very much 

 frightened, as they had not seen us, or found out exactly where 

 the sound came from. " We are just twa fules, begging your 

 honour's, pardon, and only fit to weave hose by the ingle," said 

 Donald. I could not contradict him. The mischief was done ; 

 so we had nothing for it but to wipe out our guns as well as 

 we could and proceed on our wandering. We followed the 

 probable line of the deer's march, and before night saw them 

 in a distant valley feeding again quite unconcernedly. 



"Hark! what is that?" said I, as a hollow roar like an 

 angry bull was heard not far from us. " Kep.down, kep down," 

 said Donald, suiting the action to the word, and pressing me 

 down with his hand ; " it's just a .big staig." All the hinds 



