xxxn SHOOTING THE HART 287 



to the main herd, who now all got into rare confusion as they 

 hurried on to the pass through which they left the glen. The 

 foremost stags were now passing one by one within forty yards 

 of me ; just at that point they had to make a spring over a kind 

 of chasm in their road. I kept quite motionless, and they did 

 not observe me, half concealed as I was amongst the grey rocks. 

 Now came the hinds, with a noise like a rushing stream ; amongst 

 them were four or five stags ; they were trotting quickly past 

 me, when an unlucky hind caught sight of my rifle-barrel as a 

 ray of the sun fell upon it ; the rest of the herd took the alarm 

 from her manner, and they all rushed through the pass in the 

 most mad confusion. The difficult part was only a few yards 

 in length, and once through this, they got into regular order 

 again. But where is their lord and leader ? I was afraid to look 

 over my ambuscade for fear of turning him. Just as I was 

 about to do so, however, I heard his step on the stones, and in 

 the next moment he was in full view passing broadside to me, 

 but going slowly and undecided whether to proceed or turn back, 

 having perceived the panic of the rest of the flock. When he 

 came to the difficult point where the rest had leaped, he halted 

 for a moment, looking round. The next moment my rifle-ball 

 passed through the top of his shoulder, just too high ; the blow, 

 however, knocked him down, and before he was up I had my 

 gun in my hand ; the poor brute rose, and looked wildly round ; 

 not knowing where the enemy was, nor which way to go, he 

 stood still, looking with anxious glance at his companions, who 

 were galloping off up an opposite slope. Expecting him to drop 

 dead every moment, I did not pull the trigger, but kept my aim 

 on him. The way the rest had gone seemed too rough for him, 

 and after standing for a minute gazing after them, he turned 

 round with the intention, probably, of going down the hill to 

 some well-known burn where he had been in the habit of bathing, 

 and cooling his limbs. He twice fell to his knees before he had 

 gone five yards, and then walked slowly away. I thought he 

 might recover strength, and taking a deliberate aim, I fired. 

 This time he fell without a struggle, perfectly dead. Donald 

 joined me by the time I had bled him, and examined the shot- 

 marks. One had broken the very top of his shoulder, but just 

 missed the large arteries ; the other ball seemed to have passed 

 through his heart. The Highlander was vastly delighted at 



