THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
Duncan Cameron knew exactly where we should see our first stag, and 
there at that exact spot, on the left slope of the main glen, we found him 
— a fine beast — with about forty very watchful hinds. After spying them 
for some time I remarked to Cameron that we should have difficulty 
in “ getting in,” as the deer had all the appearance of animals that had 
recently been moved — a point with which Duncan concurred. More- 
over they were standing looking about on the edge of a small ridge that 
received the wind in gusts from the north-west and south-west. This 
only left us a somewhat open line of approach from the south, for all to 
the north, east, and south-east was open, and below the deer. Our first 
attempt was a failure, as one of the hinds got a glimpse of us as we crossed 
a small opening between two depressions. The deer, however, did not 
go far, so we again advanced, and again they moved upwind. Duncan 
now counselled a different plan of attack, as he said the deer had moved 
up into a spot where they met the north wind, and that it would be a good 
plan to circle to the west and to chance coming in from the north-west 
whilst they were watching their back tracks. The plan succeeded perfectly 
up to a certain point. I had reached the last knoll, and was cocking the rifle, 
when I heard a rush and, looking up, saw the whole herd dashing away at 
full gallop. The stag was a good last, and quite clear, so I sat down quickly 
with my back to a mound of grass, and, getting the sight on him at once, 
knocked him sprawling to the earth. He recovered, however, and went 
staggering on, but when I was about to give him another, he fell with a 
splash into a peaty pool, and remained there kicking in his death struggles. 
The stag was a nice beast of 15 stone 2 lb., with a ‘‘ wild ” head of eight 
points. 
Hardly had Duncan finished the gralloch when the music of two stags 
answering one another turned our attention to the head of the glen, about 
half a mile away. Apparently the shot at the last beast had caused no dis- 
turbance, whilst the hinds of the fallen one, after circling round, had 
passed along uphill to the west. The glass showed us a small, but very 
warlike, stag, inciting another, who had about seventy hinds with him, 
to battle. The master stag was on the skyline, and looked good enough 
to shoot, so we at once set about one of the easiest of stalks. In fact 
I had hardly to crawl at all, except during the last few yards. Looking over 
a grassy bank there they were at 120 yards, with the whole scene as peace- 
ful as an English park. I waited till the stag faced me and dropped him dead 
with a breast shot. He was not as good as we had hoped, being only 14 stone 
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