264 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. ([cwap. xxxrv, 
a few yards, and then, with a great effort joining them again, 
his greater weight and fat beginning to tell on his wind. Mal- 
colm danced and shouted with eagerness: for my own part I 
went along at a quiet trot, in order not to lose sight of the run 
in case they turned up the hill and got over the height. 
Presently the dogs seemed to be in the midst of the deer; and 
the next moment we saw the stag coming straight down the hill 
with tremendous strides. and the dogs ten yards behind him— 
Bran rather the first; his thinner coat telling in his favour. As 
for the hinds, they dispersed for a moment, then collected again, 
and went off up the hill ; being intent on the stag, I saw nothing 
more of them ; they probably did not halt till they had crossed the 
the hill and the river too. 
Down came the stag at a pace and with bounds that seemed 
likely to smash his legsevery moment. Luckily for the dogs the 
ground was (as it had been all along) most favourable. I lost 
view of all three as they got into the course ofa burn, which 
joined the one we had come up. The dogs were then at his 
haunches, but unable to get hold. Bran’s point of attack was 
always at the shoulder, or fore-leg, while Oscar had a habit of 
biting at the hind-leg above the hock, frequently cutting through 
the flesh and tendons in a most extraordinary manner, and tum- 
bling the deer over very quickly. He had, however, not yet got 
a fair chance at his present chace. Once in the burn, I knew 
that neither dog could do much, excepting to bring the stag to 
bay. I ran as hard I could towards them, and soon saw the 
deer rattling down the stream, with stones and water flying about 
him in all directions. The dogs were still keeping up as well as 
they could in the narrow and rough path the stag had chosen, 
and sometimes springing at him, but unable to get a hold. 
Malcolm and myself were in great dread that they would be in- 
jured or killed. When within fifty yards of us, both dogs were 
thrown down, after making an ineffectual attempt at holding the 
deer, who broke away, and, getting a little a-head of his pursuers, 
came to bay wider a rock ina pool of the burn which reached to 
his knees. The dogs had recovered themselves almost imme- 
diately, and, crouching i in the water, bayed furiously at the stag 
who, with fils back to the rock, presented only his armed front 18 
them. Knowing their business well, from having gained expe- 
