72 AMID THE HIGH HILLS 
to a stag to bleed him, the stag had given a sudden 
unexpected plunge, which had caused the stalker 
to inflict on himself a nasty wound in his right 
leg with his knife, which was open in his hand ; 
another instance that no one, not even the oldest 
and most experienced of stalkers, can be too 
careful on these occasions. On Monday morning 
he was much better but not fit to go with me. 
The season was well advanced, and my host was 
very anxious to kill the usual number of stags as 
soon as possible. It was therefore arranged that I 
should act as my own stalker, and take with me 
a watcher named Maclennan. I had also two 
gillies with me and a couple of ponies, and my 
host told me that he would be only too glad, if 
I could manage it, if I would kill as many stags 
as could be brought in. Maclennan had never 
acted as stalker, but as there is nothing I like 
better than to do the stalking myself, I was very 
pleased with this arrangement, for Maclennan 
knew the ground thoroughly, and I felt sure that 
his assistance would be invaluable ; indeed, with- 
out him I could of course have done practically 
nothing, as the ground was strange to me. We 
were in the forest and spying by 10 a.m., and very 
soon we saw a good stag with some hinds. The 
