The Glenwood post., 1910-03-05
"noMARcH oTALL / 5LlRNY'

oracle. I'VE never can do anything
at aal in the cor-rie with this wind"
l gave it up after that We had a
long walk round the top of the corrie.
frightening on the way squaking
group OF ptarmigan. who scuttled
The pessimist was very good stalk
er. and within an hour we were eau
tiously propelling ourselves down the
hillside with our elbows and heels.
Just above the deer In the peat bogs
below we exchanged our previous mo-
tive power for hands and knees. The
pessimist peered through a tuft of
grass. Quick" he said. "Oh! mon"
Fifty yards of a hind watched US. The
stag's horns were Just vanishing over
the ridge. With extreme disfavor the
pessimist regarded the hind before US.
Presently he delivered himself with
crushing scorn. In tone of intense
conviction he remarked: "Yon is .
bee-astly hind!" 1t was.
All day long we wallowed in peat
hags. tore ourselves with rocks and
got soaked to the skin. Once
thought We had him. louting in a peat
hag and sending tufts Of heather and
black Jumps flying in all directions,
Always some unforeseen chance saved
him. Once 1t was grouse; once an
eagle sent the herd dashing down the
hillside. In the suns rays one
horned stag slept peacefully. placed
there by the gods who watched over
my would-be victim. The big stag
drove him into the outermost hades
for daring to look at his hinds. but
though he did not know 1t, his dis.
turber had saved him. Then, as It
grew dusk, we had to leave him roar.
ing defiance to the corrie with his
kinds about him on the march Two
days later 1 found him again, lying
in an inaccessible place for a stalk,
In the next forest stalker appeared
over the skyline. A hind jumped to
her feet. the surrounding deer imi.
tated her example, and the next sec.
ond they were of, AS quickly as pos:
sible We followed. From the spot
where they had been lying saw a
solitary animal vending his way, with
backward glances up the hillside II
was the big stag. Above a black scar
on the green slopes of little corrie
with almost sheer sides he stopped
and then lay down. Above him the
rocks rose abruptly to single point.
The wind blew from behind him, and
before his gaze lay the stretch of
heather. intersected by little burn.
which we must cross. We slithered
and wrfggled across 1t. got over the
burn In full view. and found ouselves
safe for the time being. An hour later
we had climbed the hill. lodged some
kinds and were in fair way to ap-
proach him. Far in the distance I
could see the peaks OF the Reay coun-
try. with Wyvis raising his bumped
shoulders to the right Moor and glen.
strath and corrie lay bathed In sun
shine. with here and there little pur-
pie pools Of shadow, or the sapphire
CLEAN of some little lonely loch. On
We went, and at last drew near tho
rocky point on which our hopes were
centered. The last few yards were ae-
complished. and we peered over. There
he lay. but how terribly small did he
look. The wind was right, his back
to us. and yet some strange sixth
sense of which our duller faculties
have but -glimmering must have
told him of the hidden danger. He
moved his head uneasily. then Jumped
to his feet. Never a second did he
STAND. but after one swift glance
round moved down the hillside at .
quick walk. Every second l hoped
that he would stand and turn: but on
he went. and there. was but one
chance. The march lay near. and for
that. rs though he knew that therein
lay his safety. he made. Oh. those
chances. desperate though they be.
that We miss. How carefully would
We aim; With What precision would
our bullets 20 had.ws ,ths shot again.
We got them again: It 10 to b. feared
with much the .sens results! Oysr
the march he wsnt, stanatng for one
tantaiisinE monsAe on the skyltns out
Il shot, aaA We. two saAdeAoA end de-
a1A1Eing ,Uoxtals. tanned aAa -nnde cur
EAy Aq4sNArds, While ~ setting 80
cast . parting bs1eaiction aheut ~
aalant hAAla .