cnap. xxvi.]J THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORK. 208 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
The Muckle Hart of Benmore. 
Sunday.—Tuis evening, Malcolm, the shepherd of the shealing 
‘at the foot of Benmore, returning from church, reported his 
having crossed in the hill a track of a hart of extraordinary size ; 
and he guessed it must be ‘‘ the muckle stag of Benmore.” This 
was an animal seldom seen, but which had long been the talk 
and marvel of the shepherds for its wonderful size and cumning. 
They love the marvellous, and in their report “the muckle 
stag” bore a charmed life; he was unapproachable and invul- 
nerable. I had heard of him too, and, having got the necessary 
information, resolved. to try to break the charm, though it should 
cost me a day or two. 
Monday.—This morning at sunrise, I with my rifle, Donald 
earrying my double-barrel, and Bran, took our way up the glen 
to the shealing at the foot of Benmore. Donald had no heart 
for this expedition. He is not addicted to superfluous conver- 
sation, but I heard him mutter something of a “ feckless errand 
—as good deer nearer hame.” Bran had already been the victor 
in many a bloody tussle with hart and fox. We held for the 
most part up the glen, but turning and crossing to seek every 
likely corrie and burn on both sides. I shot a wild cat, stealing 
home to its cairn in the early morning; and we several times 
in the day came on deer, but they were hinds with their calves, 
and I was bent on higher game. As night fell, we turned down 
to the shealing rather disheartened ; but the shepherd cheered 
me by assuring me the hart was still in that district, and de- 
scribing his track, which he said was like that of a good-sized 
heifer. Our spirits were quite restored by a meal of fresh-caught 
trout, oat-cake and milk, with a modicum of whisky, which cer- 
tainly was of unusual flavour and potency. 
Tuesday. We were off again by daybreak. I will pass by 
several minor adventures, but one cannot be omitted. Malcolm 
