298 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



glen on each side of the stream, we saw a fine roebuck feeding 

 in a grassy spot a few hundred yards out of the wood. I and 

 Donald also were much tempted to run the dogs at him, as he 

 was so far from cover ; but as Malcolm voted against it, I yielded, 

 though Donald was obliged to take sundry pinches of snuff 

 before he quietly acquiesced in my determination to leave the 

 buck unmolested. As we edged off from him in order that the 

 dogs might not see him and be tempted by his starting off to 

 break away from us, the buck lifted his head, and Bran's quick 

 eye immediately caught sight of him ; and the dog stood im- 

 movable, with his ears ereqt, and one fore-foot raised from the 

 ground. The sensible creature, however, instead of straining 

 at his leash, looked up inquiringly at his master, asking him 

 plainly, " Am I to chase that beauty ? " Oscar, who was trot- 

 ting quietly behind Donald, who held him, seeing that Bran 

 had game in view by his manner of gazing, and following the 

 direction of his eyes, also saw the buck. Not being so well 

 broken as Bran,, he no sooner saw the buck than he sprang 

 forward, pulling the old keeper down on the flat of his back. 

 Luckily, Donald had the strap twisted round his arm, or the 

 dog would have escaped after the deer. As it was, Donald 

 managed to hold him, and having got up, rubbed his back, and 

 vented his ill-humour in numberless Gaelic imprecations against 

 the dog for upsetting him, and against Malcolm, " the muckle 

 fule," as he called him, for laughing at his mishap, he got under 

 way again. In the meantime the roe had disappeared down 

 some hollow of the ground, and we proceeded on our way. 



After leaving the woods, we traversed a long range of 

 broken ground, where we had but small chance of seeing the 

 deer, though their tracks were tolerably fresh here and there ; 

 our object was to find the animals in certain places more adapted 

 for the running of the dogs than the ground we were then 

 passing. We therefore did not examine two favourite but 

 rugged and steep corries, where deer were generally found. 



Our forbearance was rewarded, for on coming to a point 

 overlooking a long and wide stretch of hill-side, through the 

 centre of which ran a winding but not very rapid burn, we 

 immediately distinguished nine deer still feeding, though the 

 morning was somewhat advanced ; they were scattered about 

 a green spot at the head of the burn, and feeding on the cpars? 



