THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
shootable beasties,” but I was now looking for something of a higher 
class, for had I not heard rumours of a good royal and a big ten -pointer 
that had been on Deanie at intervals all through the season, and they were 
most likely to be on the western edge of the lower slopes, and were sure to 
have a big herd of hinds with them. It was for this herd that Johnny and 
I searched as we kept descending the hills. The afternoon was gone, and 
we had reached “the Rocks ” beneath, where remained one small corrie, 
which we could not spy, when I heard a stag roar loudly below. In 
a moment a fierce bellow answered, and looking round the boulders 
I saw the sight that all deer stalkers love — two master stags, facing each 
other with a herd of at least 150 hinds and small deer scattered between 
them. It was a grand sight which I could have sat and watched for hours 
with pleasure, but that was not to be. The light was going fast, and even 
as I looked at them, the leading hinds made a travelling move in the direc- 
tion of Struy. There is a certain look about the face of an old hind that 
means to go right out of any place into the distance that is unmistakable, 
and when one of these old grey -faced suffragettes means to travel, the 
whole string behind her is certain to follow. Unless having actually taken 
the wind they do not go fast at this season, for the master stag generally 
comes last and whips in stragglers, so I determined to keep parallel 
to them, and to take the opportunity of cutting in for a shot, as it was by 
no means certain I could head them without being seen or giving the wind. 
The deer were about 300 yards below, now moving slowly. Once I tried 
to cut down the hill but found myself blocked by three hinds on the near 
flank. I then retreated up the hill again, and, after a short run, caught up 
my lost ground. After various advances and retreats to try and come 
within shot of either of the two big stags, I found myself, at 5 p.m., at 
the end of the rocks, seeing the retreating sterns of the whole herd walking 
over the fiat above Campbell’s house. The light would be gone in half 
an hour, and the Struy march was only a quarter of a mile away, whilst 
it was certain that the deer would not halt before they reached that forest. 
There was now only a remote chance of cutting off the deer, and that was 
by running straight uphill to gain the shelter of a low ridge which might, 
or might not, conceal our movements from the deer in front and below, 
and then to dash along to the march itself and try to head them. No 
sooner thought of than away we went up the hill. It was a hard struggle 
to reach that top, and a harder one to plough through the hags before 
we reached hard ground and the descent. With panting lungs and burning 
84 
