XXXIV DEATH OF THE STAG 303 



They came quite willingly, evidently placing entire confidence 

 in our manner of attack. Malcolm got just above the stag, 

 and then flinging his heavy stick at his legs, and shouting 

 loudly, frightened him so that he rushed out of the pool, 

 passing close to me. 



" Now, then, good dogs, at him " ; and the next moment 

 the stag was tumbled over, with both hounds fixed on him — 

 Bran at his shoulder and Oscar at his throat. I easily managed 

 my part of the affair, and put an end to the poor animal's pain 

 with my hunting-knife. " Well done. Sir, well done," said 

 Malcolm ; " that was quickly finished." — " Deed, ay," said 

 Donald, who just then came up, panting like a walrus. " No 

 that bad either " ; this being the utmost praise that he ever 

 bestowed on any one." The hounds, as soon as they saw that 

 the stag was quite dead, left him, and, lying quietly down, 

 began to lick the bruises and cuts they had received in the run ; 

 luckily there were none of any consequence. Every now and 

 then one of the dogs would get up, and, going up to the deer, 

 examine him all over, as if to satisfy himself that there was no 

 life remaining. We examined the dogs' limbs to see that there 

 was no serious strain or cut, and then, after rubbing the dirt 

 and blood off their skins, set to work to open the deer, and 

 dispose of the body, ready to be carried off the next day. This 

 done, we sat down, talked over the run, and consulted as to our 

 proceedings for the rest of the day ; and as it was still early, 

 we agreed to try some more ground, in the contrary direction 

 to that in which the hinds had gone, and, if kept out late, to 

 sleep at a shepherd's house some distance up in the hills. 



We searched many a corrie and glen in vain, till towards 

 evening, Donald, who had been examining the rushy ground 

 that fringed the sides of a considerable mountain stream, in 

 hopes of seeing some deer at feed, suddenly shut up the tele- 

 scope, and as he deliberately wiped the glasses, and placed it 

 in its case, said, without looking up, " I'm seeing a fine stag 

 down yonder, Sir." Th6n having taken a long pinch of snuff", 

 he added, " He is just the beast that the shepherd up there was 

 telling me of last Sabbath " — Sunday being the day on which 

 Donald invariably heard all the hill news. 



The evening was coming on, so having no time to lose, and 

 -a considerable retrograde movement to make before we could 



