106 AMID THE HIGH HILLS 
were in good condition, and weighed 13 st. 9 lb. 
and 14 St. 3 lb. clean. After gralloching the stags, 
we dragged them down the hill to a point from 
which we could signal to the pony boy. The 
ponies had long been used for carrying stags, and 
stood quietly whilst the stags were put on them. 
We soon reached the pony path, and after a walk 
of five miles reached the lodge. 
The following day, Wednesday, it rained and 
blew all day, and the mists hung low on the 
mountains, so that it was quite useless to attempt 
any stalking. 
The next day, Thursday, was the last day of my 
visit and that of Stuart. Stuart was particularly 
anxious to kill one more stag in the company of 
the second stalker, because he had killed his first 
stag in his company sixteen years ago in this 
forest, and had since then killed forty-eight stags 
in various forests. The day looked anything but 
propitious ; there was mist and rain, and the 
wind was again in the wrong quarter. My host 
said he would go fishing up the glen ; Stuart was 
sent to try one of the far beats in the company of 
his old friend the second stalker, whilst I was left 
to try the home beat again. As we went up the 
hill the mist gradually lifted, and we saw two huge 
