CHAF XXX11.] BELLOWING OF S1'AG3. 247 
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 con- 
tradict 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 looked up, 
and, following the direction of their heads, we saw an immense 
hart coming over the brow of the hill three hundred yards from 
us. He might easily have seen us, but seemed too intent on the 
hinds to think of anything else. On the height of the hill he 
halted, and stretching out his neck and lowering his head, bel- 
lowed again. He then rushed down the hill like a mad beast : 
when half way down he was answered from a distance by another 
stag. He instantly halted, and looking in that direction roared 
repeatedly, while we could see in the evening air, which had 
become cold and frosty, his breath coming out of his nostrils 
like smoke. Presently he was answered by another and another 
stag, and the whole distance seemed alive with them. A more 
unearthly noise I never heard, as it echoed and re-echoed through 
the rocky glens that surrounded us. 
The setting sun threw a strong light on the first comer, cast- 
ing a kind of yellow glare on his horns and head, while his body 
was in deep shade, giving him a most singular appearance, par- 
ticularly when combined with his hoarse and strange bellowing. 
As the evening closed in, their cries became almost incessant, 
