THE RED DEER 
are now too good to call forth any exceptional marksmanship on his 
part, whereas if he can himself spy his deer, account for all outlying 
beasts, conduct a stalk by marking exactly where he should go up, 
where he should come down, and from what spot he ought to get his shot, 
he is a real hunter and not merely an ordinary marksman, so is able to 
hold a rifle tolerably still. 
I do not for a moment wish to underrate the services of the professional 
deer -stalker; his help is essential to forty -nine men out of fifty, and to the 
skilled hunter his presence is as a rule as delightful as it is to the beginner. 
There are none amongst us who have not enjoyed the “ clean ” society 
of Donald, his quiet friendship, his pawky humour, his excellent observa- 
tion, and his dry common sense, whilst we know that his caustic criti- 
cisms and chatty remarks are as true as they are never ill-natured. His 
presence is good for us, and unlike many other things that are “ good for 
us ” we do not hate him. On the other hand, the more we know him the 
more we love him, for we feel that once his friendship is gained it is true 
as steel. 
He is well described in some lines by M. I. Hope: 
No great skill of the English tongue, 
And never a talker much from choice ; 
But a sight beyond where clouds have clung 
To make the heart of the hills rejoice. 
And where is a truer welcome rung 
Than is spoke by a sad, soft. Highland voice? 
So in time those who relied on experts to lead them to the deer be- 
came more and more numerous, and seemed to regard the business 
of finding and approaching the quarry a matter with which they had little 
concern. 
Until the year 1880 the majority of the deer forests were still old-estab- 
lished ones, but as sheep became less and less profitable, and rents for 
deer ground more lucrative to Highland owners, the increase both of the 
deer and new deer forests was rapid. There is nothing much easier than 
to turn a sheep run into a deer forest. All that is necessary is to take the 
sheep away, keep the place quiet and take down a few fences. The process, 
it is true, was not looked upon with favour by those who first possessed the 
deer, but that was not a matter that concerned the forest -creator, who 
saw only wealth ahead instead of empty pockets. Another matter of 
K 65 
