80 AMID THE HIGH HILLS 
the stags to pass, and arrived just in time. The 
stags were moving slowly almost broadside to us 
in single file, and were passing over a little knoll, 
at which point I had a fine chance of a shot. 
" Take the second one, sir," said Maclennan, who 
had his glass on them. I was just about to fire when 
he said : " No, not that one, but the third ; he's 
better. ' ' Again I was on the point of shooting when 
Maclennan said : " Wait, sir, wait ; take the fifth, 
he's the best." Directly the stag topped the knoll 
I fired, and he ran a few yards and fell down. On 
coming up to him I found it necessary to give him 
another bullet through the neck. We found that 
this stag was by far the best we had seen that day. 
He was a royal, in splendid condition, and weighed 
17 stone G lb. clean. He had a magnificent head, 
with very thick black horns, and long points with 
white tips. After gralloching him, and tying a hand- 
kerchief to his horns to scare the eagles and foxes, 
we made our way back to the lodge. I had 
several good days in the forest subsequently, with 
one or other of the regular stalkers, but none 
more enjoyable than this one, in which, without 
the assistance of a regular stalker, I had the good 
fortune to kill four stags averaging over 16 stone 
clean, without heart or liver. 
