ledge of character, and above all, his enthusiasm for 'the chase, and his ten years' experience of its details on the grandest scale, fit him in an eminent degree for describing the statistics of our deer-forests, the natural history of its antlered occupants, the system of rifle practice by which they are overpowered, and the manners and superstitions of the foresters, scouts, and gillies, who have formed his army of observation. ago the deer in these forests were estimate at 3000, but at present they are supposed not to exc In a modern French work on geography, we are told that wolves still exist in the Highlands of Scotland. The author has made a mistake only of a century; for we find, in Mr. Scrope's description of the Sutherland forests, a most interesting account of the destruction of the last wolf and her cubs, between 1690 and 1700. This event, which took In the brief space which is necessarily allotted to place on the east coast of Sutherland, was attended the analysis of a work of this kind, we cannot hope with remarkable circumstances. In consequence of to give our readers an adequate idea either of its some ravages among the flocks, the inhabitants literary merits, or of the fund of colloquial anecdote turned out in a body to discover the depredator. and discussion, which, while it gives life and spirit Having failed in the attempt, a man of the name of to the more technical details of the chase, enlivens Polson, accompanied by his son and an active herdat the same time the otherwise grave dissertations boy, resolved to search the wild recesses in the on the natural history of dogs and deer, and the neighbourhood of Glen-Loth. statistics and scenery of their rocky domains. Still less can we hope to give the reader any just notion had much experience in tracing and destroying wolves, "Polson," says our author, "was an old hunter, and of those fine touches of sentiment and humour which and other predatory animals. Forming his own cunjersparkle amid the general narrative, or of the splendid teres, he proceeded at once to the wild and rugged ground engravings and lithographs, after paintings by Edwin that surrounds the rocky mountain-gulley which forms. and Charles Landseer, and Mr. Scrope himself, the channel of the Burn of Sledale. Here, after a minute which embellish the work. The forest-joust between investigation, he discovered a narrow fissure in the midst two stags in the frontispiece-the canes venaticæ of a confused mass of large fragments of rock, which, in the vignette; the getting a quiet shot; the deer upon examination, he had reason to think night lead to at bay in a torrent; the looking for a wounded deer; a larger opening or cavern below, which the wolf might the being left behind in a dubious position; the lift- use as his den. Stones were now thrown down, and ing the deer out of a burn; the coming in for a shot; and the preparing the deer for being left on the moor -afford characteristic and pleasing representations of the more stirring events of a deer-chase. other means resorted to, to rouse any animal that might be lurking within. Nothing formidable appearing, the two lads contrived to squeeze themselves through the fissure that they might examine the interior, whilst Pol son kept guard on the outside. The boys de-cended In addition to these interesting illustrations of the work, we should have liked to see, even in the rudest through the narrow passage into a sinall cavern, which was evidently a wolf's den, for the ground was covered outline, the principal deer-forests laid down on a with bones and horns of animals, feathers, and egg-shells; map of Scotland; and the haunts of the roe-deer, and and the dark space was somewhat enlivened by five or the grouse, and the ptarmigan, might have been ap-six active wolf cubs. Not a little dubious of the event, propriately added. Mr. Scrope, however, has supplied this defect by ample descriptions of the principal deer-forests in Scotland, and has tried even to estimate the number of deer by which they are occupied. the voice of the poor boys came up hollow and anxious from below, communicating this intelligence. Polson at once desired them to do their best, and to destroy the cubs. Soon after, he heard the feeble howling of the whelps as they were attacked below, and saw, almost at The Forest of Atholl, in which Mr. Scrope enjoyed the same time, to his great horror, a full-grown wolf, the sport of deer-stalking for so many years, lies in evidently the dain, raging furiously at the cries of her Perthshire, and touches the counties of Aberdeen and young, and now close upon the mouth of the cavern, Inverness. It is about forty miles long, and its ex- which she had approached unobserved, among the rocky treme breadth eighteen miles, measuring 135,458 irregularities of the place. She attempted to leap down imperial acres. The part occupied by grouse is at one bound from the spot where she was first seen. In 3,742 acres; and that which is reserved exclusively forward on the wolf, and succeeded in catel.ing a firm this emergency, Polson instinctively threw himself for deer, contains 51,708 acres. In 1776, the num- hold of the animal's long and bushy tail, just as the foreber of deer did not exceed a hundred; but Mr. Scrope part of the body was within the narow entrance of the estimates them now at between 5000 and 6000, cavern. He had unluckily placed his gun against a rock though others make them amount to 7000. The when aiding the boys in their descent, and could not now Forest of Marr, in Aberdeenshire, belonging to Lord reach it. Without apprising the lads below of their im Fife, consists of four contiguous glens on the north minent peril, the stout hunter kept firm grip of the wolf's bank of the Dee, about fifteen miles long and eight tail, which he wound round his left arm; and although wide, and covering an area of about sirty thousand the maddened brute scrambled and twisted, and strove acres; the number of deer is variable, but it is sup- with all her might to force herself down to the rescue of posed that there is a regular stock of about 3000. her cubs, Polson was just able, with the exertion of all The forests in Sutherland, now greatly restricted his strength, to keep her from going forward. In the by sheep-farms, were two in number, Dirrie Chat midst of this singular struggle, which passed in silence and Dirrie More. The former, running parallel with for the wolf was mute, and the hunter, either from the the east coast, extends about fifty miles in length, lingness to alarm the boys, spoke n a word at the comengrossing nature of his exertions, or from his unwil and from ten to thirty in breadth; the latter is about mencement of the conflict-his son within the cave, find seventy miles long, and twenty broad. It is almost ing the light excluded from above, asked in Gaelic, and destitute of wood, and consists of deep and desolate in an abrupt tone-" Father, what is keeping the light glens, and of broken and disjointed masses of rock, from us?"-"If the root of the tail break," replied he, singularly wild and precipitous. About thirty years". you will soon know that." Before long, however, the man contrived to get hold of his hunting-knife, and the late amiable and accomplished Lord Webb Seystabbed the wolf in the most vital parts he could reach. mour, and our distinguished countryman, Professor The enraged animal now attempted to turn and face her Playfair, were surveying the mineralogical structure foe, but the hole was too narrow to allow of this; and of Shehallien, they were accompanied by an old man when Polson saw his danger, he squeezed her forward, as their guide, who was a schoolmaster in the neighkeeping her jammed in, whilst he repeated his stabs as bourhood; and while they were walking before their rapidly as he could, until the animal, being mortally horses up the road, on the northern declivity of Ranwounded, was easily dragged back and finished."-P. 371. noch, within sight of the mountain above Gaick, he The Forest of Corrichibah, or the Black Mount, gave the following version of the preceding story, is situated in Glenorchy, in Argyleshire, and belongs adding, "There was nae the like seen in a' Scotto the Marquis of Breadalbane. The extent of the land." forest kept exclusively for deer is 35,000 acres, and 'It was on the night of, I think, the 14th of February, the number of deer is about 1500. The Forest of 1799, that there came on a dreadful storm of wind and Glenartney, in Perthshire, belonging to Lord Wil- drifting snow from the southeast, which was felt very se loughby D'Eresby, extends over 2800 Scotch acres, verely in most parts of Scotland. On the preceding day, and contains from 700 to 1000 deer. There is a Captain M, attended by three other men, had gone sanctuary or deer-preserve in the centre, and in win-out a deer-shooting, in that extensive tract of mountains ter the deer are fed with corn and hay. which lies to the west of Dalnacardoch. As they did not Uist 100. Beside these forests we may enumerate those of return in the evening, nothing was heard of them. The Intercauld, of 22,000 acres; of the Marquis of Hunt- next day, people were sent out in quest of them as soon ly, of above 30,000 acres; of the Duke of Richmond, as the storm abated. After a long search, the bodies of 30,000 acres; and the lesser ones of Benalder, on were found in a lifeless state, lying among the ruins of a the south side of Loch Laggan, rented by the Mar- bothy, (a temporary hut,) in which it would seem Captain quis of Abercorn; of Glengarry, in Inverness-shire, Mand his party had taken refuge. The bothy had about seven miles long; of Applecross and Gairloch, been destroyed by the tempest, and in a very astonishing manner. It had been built partly of stone, and partly of in Ross-shire; and that of Gaick, in Inverness-shire. strong wooden uprights driven into the ground; it was In the Western Islands, the deer forest of Jura con-not merely blown down, but quite torn to pieces. Large tains 500 deer; that of Skye 230; and that of North stones, which had formed part of the walls, were found lying at the distance of one or two hundred yards from In giving an account of the deer forests of Baden- the site of the building, and the wooden uprights appearoch, Mr. Scrope entertains his readers with a num-ed to have been rent asunder by a force that had twisted ber of interesting adventures and stories connected them off, as in breaking a tough stick. From the cir with that part of the Highlands. One of these, cumstances in which the bodies were found, it appeared which relates to the destruction of a hunting party in that the men were retiring to rest at the time the calamity Gaick by an avalanche, has acquired a peculiar in- came upon them. One of the bodies, indeed, was found terest from the superstitious details with which it at a distance of many yards from the bothy; another of has been associated in the fancy of the Highlanders. the men was found upon the place where the bothy had The following is Mr. Scrope's brief notice of it: stood, with one stocking off, as if he had been undressing; Captain M- was lying, without his clothes, upon the "In 1800, Captain John M'Pherson of Ballachroan, wretched bed which the bothy had afforded-his face to with four attendants, and several fine deer-hounds, was the ground, and his knees drawn up. To all appearance, killed by an avalanche in Gaick. The house in which the destruction had been quite sudden; yet the situation they slept (a strong one) was swept away from the very of the building was such as promised security against the foundation, and part of the roof carried to the distance of utmost violence of the wind. It stood in a narrow recess, a mil. The catastrophe was ascribed by some to su- at the foot of a mountain, whose precipitous and lofty depernatural agency, and a great deal of superstitions exag- clivities sheltered it on every side except in the front, and geration was circulated, to the annoyance of Captain here, too, a hill rose before it, though with a more gradual M'Pherson's family and fr ends."-P. 118. slope. This extraordinary wreck of a building so situated, This melancholy event took place at the distance led the common people to ascribe it to a supernatural of thirteen miles from the residence of the hunting power. It was recollected by some who had been out shooting with Captain M- about a month before, that party. Their friends were naturally alarmed for while they were resting at this bothy, a shepherd lad had their safety, when the drifting storm of wind and come to the door and inquired for Captain M, and snow had shut up the roads and passes of the moun- that the captain went out with the shepherd, and they tains; and every hour's delay in their return brought walked away together, leaving the rest of the party in a new accession to their fears. A strong party, fur- the bothy. After a time, Captain M- returned alone; nished with the necessary implements, penetrated he said nothing of what had passed between him and the through the snowy barrier which obstructed their lad, but looked very grave and thoughtful, and from that path, and, after surmounting great hardships, they time there was observed to be a mysterious anxiety succeeded in disinterring their friends from their icy hanging about him. It was remembered that one evengraves. Although we have heard them from the ex-ing, after dusk, when Captain M was in the bothy, ploring parties, our limits will not permit us to detail some of his party that were standing saw a fire blazing the circumstances which marked this tragedy of the chase; but, even in the district where the truth was known, superstition has wove round it her mystic embroidery, and the story of the hapless deer-stalkers of Gaick became henceforth a legendary tale. When on the top of the hill which rises in front of it. They were much surprised to see a fire in such a solitary place, of it; but when they reached the top of the hill, there and at such a time, and set out to inquire into the cause was no fire to be seen! it was remembered, too, that on the day before the fatri night, Captain M-- had shown a singular obstinocy in going forth upon his expedition. No representations of the inclemency of the weather, or of the dangers he would be exposed to, could restrain 11 him. He said he must go, and was resolved to go. Captain M―'s character was not spared, in order to give probability to these fancies. It was popularly reported that he was rapacious and cruel; that he had got money by procuring recruits from the Highlands,* an unpopular inode of acquiring wealth: and that, amongst other measures for this purpose, he had gone so far as to leave a purse upon the road, and to threaten the man who had picked it up with an indictment for robbery, if he did not enlist."+ This interesting story was communicated by Lord Webb Seymour to Sir Walter Scott, who published it as an example of those accompaniments of the rude popular legend, "possessing points of interest, of nature, and of effect, which, though irreconcilable with sober truth, carry with them something which the mind is not averse to believe-something, in short, of plausibility, which, let the poet or romancer do their very best, they find it impossible to attain to." Sir Walter adds it as his opinion, "That the feeling of superstitious awe annexed to the catastrophe contained in this interesting narrative, could not have been improved by any circumstances of additional horror which a poet could have invented; that the incidents, and the gloomy simplicity of the narrative, are much more striking than they could have been rendered by the most glowing description; and that the old Highland schoolmaster, the outline of whose tale is so judiciously preserved by the narrator, was a better medium for communicating such a tale, than would have been the form of Ossian, could he have arisen from the dead on purpose." and are engaged in savage conflicts with each other, Mr. Scrope has noticed a singular combination of cowardice and courage in the master hart. When he apprehends danger from a rifle, he will get into the midst of the hinds, and keep his antlers as low as possible; and while the hinds and the younger harts are keeping guard, the larger ones enjoy their ease on the hill-side. No sooner, however, is the herd strongly beset, than the master hart exhibits great boldness and decision. He takes the lead of his confiding herd, and forces his way through every obstacle. His daring courage is singularly contrasted with his shyness and timidity. The flutter of a moorfowl, or the plaintive note of a plover, will set him off at full speed; but when he sees his adversary, he is never off his guard. He is cool and vigilant; and, when he has taken a survey of the plans of his disturber, he decides in a moment, and often rushes through the very middle of the unarmed drivers. In the first chapter of his work, Mr. Scrope has given a very interesting account of the manners and habits of the red deer, or Cervus elaphus of naturalists. Their colour is usually reddish brown, and their horns vary in size and in the number of their branches, partly with age and partly from other causes. They shed their horns annually, between April and June, and the new horns åttain their full growth in three months. These new horns are very sensitive, and, while they continue so, the deer fight with their fore-feet, keeping back their heads. The hinds have been seen to eat the shed horns, and the late Duke of Atholl once found a dead hind, which "When a stag," says Mr. Scrope, "is closely pursued had been choked by part of the horn. The leaden- by dogs, and feels that he cannot escape from them, he coloured skin, or velvet which invests the new horn, flies to the best position he can, and defends himself to disappears in August and September, when the deer the last extremity. This is called going to bay. If he is are in the best condition. "If a hart," says Mr. badly wounded, or very much overmatched in speed, he Scrope, is cut when a fawn, he will never have has little choice of ground; but if he finds himself stout horns; and if he is cut when five or six years old, in the chase, and is pursued in his native mountains, he after his horns have attained their full growth, he will select the most defensible spot he has it in his power will never drop them; and if he be cut when he has to reach, and woe be unto the dog which approaches him dropped them, "they will never be renewed." rashly. His instinct always leads him to the rivers, When one of the horns is inferior to the other, Mr. where his long legs give him a great advantage over the Scrope has often observed, that it is owing to a gun-deer-hounds. Firmly he holds his position, while they shot or other bad wound on the side where the horn is imperfect. The weight of deer varies from fifteen to thirty stone imperial. The rutting season is about the end of September and beginning of October in Scotland. swim powerless about him, and would die from cold and him. Sometimes he will stand upon a rock in the midst fatigue before they could make the least impression on of the river, making a most majestic appearance; and in this case it will always be found that the spot on which he stands is not approachable on his rear. In this situation he takes such a sweep with his antlers, that he could exterminate a whole pack of the most powerful lurchers, that were pressing too closely upon him in front. He is secure from all but man; and the rifle shot must end him. Superior dogs may pull him down when running, but not when he stands at bay."-P. 20-21. The traditional opinion, that the deer sometimes attains the age of upwards of a hundred years is of stately pace, till he arrived nearly parallel with it; Mr. course not countenanced by our author. He has, Maule then desired the lad to increase his pace, being aphowever, found, in the superstitions of the High-prehensive of a charge in the broadside. lands, some arguments in favour of the longa et cervina senectus of Juvenal; and the Gaelic adage, "Thrice the age of a man is that of a deer," is supported by marvellous stories, attested by chiefs of honour and veracity. With all his respect for marvellous traditions, Mr. Scrope does not hesitate to inform us, that all the accounts he has received from park-keepers in England, where there are red deer, contradict their supposed longevity, and establish the fact that the longest-lived deer has not exceeded twenty years of age. On the approach of storms, the deer quit the more elevated hills, and descend to the low ground, anticipating the change by sometimes two days. They never perish in snow-drifts like sheep, and they are seldom destroyed by avalanches. Only two accidents of this kind occurred in the Atholl forest during sixty years. Eleven deer were killed by an avalanche in Glen Mark, and twenty-one by another. The harts are good swimmers; and it is said that the rear hart, in swimming, rests his head on the croup of the one before him, and that the rest follow in the same manner. 66 The deer, however, had other intentions; for as soon as the carriage moved quicker he increased his pace also, and came on the road about twelve yards ahead of it, for the purpose of crossing, as it was thought, to a lower range of the parks; but to the astonishment, and no little. alarm of the occupants of the carriage, he charged the offside horse, plunging his long brow antler into his chest, and otherwise cutting him. "The horse that was wounded made two violent kicks, and is supposed to have struck the stag, and then the pair instantly ran off the road; and it was owing solely to the that the carriage was not precipitated over the neighadmirable presence of mind and sense of the postillion, bouring bank. The horses were not allowed to stop till they reached the gate, although the blood was pouring from the wounded animal in a stream as thick as a man's finger. He was then taken out of the carriage, and only survived two or three hours. The stag was shortly afterwards killed."-P. 33. As a proof of the determined resolution of the stag when pushed to extremity, and at the same time as a specimen of a royal battue got up on the most magnificent scale, Mr. Scrope quotes from Barclay's Defence of Monarchical Government, his account of the deer hunt which was prepared by the Earl of Atholl for Queen Mary, in 1563. As we agree with Mr. Scrope in doubting the accuracy of the details, we shall give a very brief account of it. About two thousand Highlanders spent several weeks in driv Notwithstanding the ferocity of the deer in the rutting season, they have been seldom known to attack man without a cause. Instances, however, of a contrary nature have occurred.* John Crerar, having got behind a stag which was at bay in Glening from Marr, Badenoch, Murray, and Atholl, to more, rashly took hold of his hind-leg, and tried to does, and other game. The queen was delighted with an appointed place, two thousand deer, besides roes, throw him over;" but, when he was about to do so; the spectacle; and having ordered a large fierce dog to the animal saluted him with both his hind-legs, and be let loose on a wolf that appeared, a stately hart, with such effect, that one of his hoofs broke his the leader of the herd, turned his face to the quarter watch, and the other struck him in the mouth, from which they came, and was followed by the knocked out one of his teeth, and sent him sprawling whole herd. A line of Highlanders obstructed their on his back to the edge of the water." Mr. Scrope path; but, falling flat on the heath, they allowed the mentions that there is an instance upon record of a deer to pass over their bodies, and thus to wound red deer having beaten off a tiger which was set loose several and to trample two or three to death. A deupon it in an enclosed arena, at the instance of Wil-tachment of the deer, however, having been turned liam Duke of Cumberland. Mr. Gilpin mentions by the huntsmen, the royal stag-hounds were let the case of a peasant having been dangerously loose, and 360 deer, five wolves, and some roes, were wounded in attempting to turn a stag when pursued by the hunters in the New Forest. The stag holding on his course, darted one of his antlers into the man, and carried him some paces sticking upon his horns. The unprovoked ferocity of a red deer confined in the Park at Taymouth, is thus described by Mr. Scrope: killed. Mr. Scrope now starts from Blair Castle on his first excursion to the Deer Forest, and after a brief dissertation on mountain scenery and mountain appetites, a friend from Badenoch (Mr. Edwin Landseer) joins him at breakfast at Bruar Lodge. In full equipment, the party ascend the flanks of Ben Dairg, "In October, 1836, the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Fox Maule and in the wilderness of rock and heath they have had left Taymouth with the intention of proceeding quitted every thing that is associated with domestic towards Dalguise; and in driving through that part of and social life. No sound is heard save that of the the grounds where the red deer were kept, they suddenly, torrent; no notes but the wild bird's scream; the at a turn of the road, came upon the lord of the demesne scared grouse occasionally change their restingstanding in the centre of the passage, as if prepared to place; the plover flits from stone to stone; and the dispute it against all comers. Mr. Maule being aware soaring eagle completes the climax of living nature. that it might be dangerous to trifle with him, or to en-A hart is at last seen lying in a bog, and a group of deavour to drive him away, (for it was the rutting season,) cautioned the postillion to go slowly, and give the animal an opportunity of moving off. This was done, and the stag retired to a small hollow by the side of the road. On the carriage passing, however, he took offence at its too near approach, and emerged at a slow and *This would not be considered such an instance in this country."-MUSEUM. hinds adorn the brow of the hill above. All are on the alert. "Pray, walk and creep behind me," whispers the leader; "be as silent as the grave, and when you step upon stones tread like a ghost. If your back aches insupportably, lie down and die; but do not move yourself an inch to save your life. Now, let us put our caps in our pockets. Heaven bless me! do not raise up your hair with your fingers in that way, at present, it would be more becoming | ledge of the rock, and began to take out the huge creato be bald." One of the party now watches the ture, two at his fore-legs and two at his hind quarters, deer, another follows with the dogs, and a third takes and thus they lifted him out from the course of the torthe rifles. The party now advances, sometimes on rent, and laid him at length upon the moss."--P. 59–62. their hands and knees, sometimes up to the middle in the burn, now writhing on their stomachs through of the accident which befell a stag-hound while in We cannot withhold from our readers an account the mire, till they come in upon the flank of the hart. the active pursuit of a hart in the forest of Dirrie The leader now raises his rifle, and no sooner is the More in Sutherland. Having fallen down a sloping shot fired than up springs the deer, shot through the but steep precipice, he alighted upon a projecting body, but still able to pant up the steep acclivity shelf of rock, from which there was neither escape which lies in his path. The dogs are let loose; the chase is continued over the hill, and on reaching its summit the voice of the hounds breaks full upon their ear. a "And they saw one magnificent creature standing on narrow projecting ledge of rock within the cleft, and in the mid course of a mountain cataract. The upper fall plunged down behind him, and the water, coming through his legs, dashed the spray and mist around him, and then at one leap went plump down to the abyss below; the rocks closed in upon his flanks, and there he stood, bidding defiance in his own mountain hold. nor rescue. “The rock,” says Mr. Scrope," opposed an insuperable obstruction from above, and the precipice menaced certain death below. * * # The spot could not be approached by man; and the poor animal, expecting that assistance from his master which it was impossible for him to afford, kept up a continual howling for succour during day and night. He continued to linger in his frightful prison for several days, and the sounds of hls voice grew feeble and feebler, until they ended in a sharp kind of whistle, interrupted by various efforts to break out into a bark. Every kind of project was conJust at the very edge of the precipice, and as it sidered; but no means could be devised to save him, for seemed on the very brink of eternity, the dogs were the ground was of such a nature that no one could be baying him furiously. One rush of the stag would have lowered and pulled up by means of a rope. At length sent them down into the chasm, and in their fury they the faint sounds ceased-his flesh was carried away by seemed wholly unconscious of their danger. All drew eagles, and his bones are still whitening on the rock.”— in their breath, and shuddered at the fatal chance that Pp. 65–Gif. seemed momentarily about to take place. Fortunately, the stag (sensible, perhaps, of his danger) showed less fight than usual; still the suspense was painfully exciting, for the dogs were wholly at his mercy, and as he me naced with his antlers they retreated backwards within * The next feat of the party was one in which the sagacity and instinct of the deer could be opposed only by skilful manœuvring on the part of the deerstalker. Having discovered with the telescope a an inch of instant dissolution. * * * Whenever fine group of eight harts, the party took their station the deer turned aside his antlers to gore Tarff, Derig on Ben-y-venue, and scouts were sent to the right seized the moment to fly at his throat; but the motions and left, not to drive the deer, but to endeavour to of the hart were so rapid, that the hound was ever com- put them on this hill. In half an hour, the deer pelled to draw back to the verge of the precipice. * were all standing up, with their jutting necks and The stag at length, being maddened at these vexations towering antlers, and gazing at the summit of the attacks, inade a desperate stab at Derig, and in avoiding hill. The hind directs their motions, while the lazy it the poor dog at length lost his footing, his hind legs harts are doing nothing. They seem in a state of passed over the ledge of the rock, and it now seemed i possible for him to recover himself. His life hung in uncertainty about their line of retreat. They_turn the balance, and the fatal scale appeared to preponderate. aside for a few minutes, and come a little way down Still his fore-legs bore upon the ledge, and he scraped and the hill. But now they stop, and examine all the strove with them to the utmost; but as he had little or glen before they venture into its recesses. They no support behind, he was in the position of a drowning scan every part of the ground, and look with intense man who attempts to get into a boat, and being, also like anxiety on every object within the range of their lim, exhausted, the chances were considerably against vision. They now march, like a retreating army, him. In struggling with his fore-legs he appeared to with their front and rear guard; and with measured advance a little, and then to slip back again, gasping steps they wind down a rocky precipice, impassable painfully in the exertion; at length he probably found apparently by living beast. Dreading that they some slight bearing for the claws of his hind feet, and, would go straight down the glen, and not come over to the inexpressible relief of every one, he once taore to the middle hill, the party were in despair; but recovered his footing, and sprang forward at the deer as one of the scouts saw a parcel of hinds, which he thought would join them lower down, and he believed that they would then come down to the desired place. rash and wrathful as ever. "Tortoise (the hero of the party) at length found the proper spot, the rifle was then raised, but when all hearts were beating high in sudden and nervous expce. tation of a happy issue, the dogs were unfortunately in "Maclaren," says Mr. Scrope," the skilful missionary, such a position that a shot could not be fired from above who had a clear and commanding view of all these without risk to one of them, and the danger was as things, began to set to work in a more determined manfearful as ever. Three times was the aim thus taken ner: he pressed forward rapidly, still out of sight of both and abandoned. At length an opening-the crack of parcels of deer; till at length, when he came sufficiently the gun was heard faintly in the din of the waterfall-forward, he dashed down the hill in full view, shouting, the bal! pased through the back of the deer's head, and hallooing, and hurling stones down the mountain with down he dropped on the spot without a struggle. The all his might, going to and fro as the deer shifted, slipdogs now rushed forward and seized him by the throat; ping, clambering, and tumbling in such perilous places so firm and savage was their grasp, that they were with as would have endangered the life of a mountain god."---difficulty choked off. The men came cautiously on the P. 80. |