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, THE E7S8»B19,HnTCK« OS' 8VHHKV
CiOMOaWUCV a'AIlirOO, KJJtt.
(I'rom Unity's Magazine )
ClIAI'TBR XVI — (CoNTINUi'.n .\
'BI1I0 still a wee, wlnln I uk r. ulii-k ower tho
ground,' said Hvnn, taking his ul»«d from bin shoulder,
10 Sydney, who woe about to rlsu nnd look nliroail over
the scene,— ' Bide* wee;' nud focus-inn tho glass, he
rested it upon n stone, nnd tlow'y moving it nloni-
peorcd steadily nnd nuxiounly down i-to tho vulloya
bolow.
Presently tho glass beo»mi fixe Ijnono spot : n long
nnu anxious Mleuco ensnud. The M'Uuny wriggled
hliuBolf up nlongBldo of Evan, nnd Evan uttered a word
or two in a low tono, anJ Imnilcl him the aU-r, with
tho nearest approach to a otnilo on hii Coco which Syci
noy had yot Been upou it, Tim Jl'Ciuoy, In turn, took
a long look.
?' Three hinds, but I only »co ono stag.'
' Ower »ho gray rock, imilr to tho right.''
' Ah I to be euro. I see him no*— .nd thov are feed
Ing up the g-ou. It will bo an awkw»rd «lalk with tho
wind M il U; ' uad ha bended 111! glsa to Bjrlnoy nho
w»« trjlog to m»k« out the quarry by hlii unassls ed
eyesight, and of course utterly failing. He took tho
glaw' and e.gcrly scanned the v.lley well to the rig'
and loft of thi indicated upot, but could oeo 'O«''K;
Again und iis»ln thoy pointed out and ^cUA hi» view
to tho spot, with tho usual in »mli onscs. Now-d»n t
yoii-ioo-liJm! juBt to tho light of tint l»r«e gray
rook)' or, 'Just behind tint shuttered plno
atump V . ' Not not ho. couldn't mnkn it out. and ^yct
—hut stay; is it Hint little patch of dirty red. tliat
looks from hero like a twig of withered boiitlior or
'Ofconrso It is; thnt Is a ntoK. But dou't rai-0
your hend higher than there's nny neocstity for ; lor. 111
door-.talking, tho r-portsmnn who would ho successful
mu)t novcr throw tho slightest chunco »wnv : and nn
incautious gesture or expnaure uiny Rpnil iho best con
cer.td slalk. And now, Evnn, how shall wo circumvent
Ihora? Whnt is'tho propohitinn?' ..
' Wocannrtgetnigh t''cm wl' tho wund o this side.
Wo'll hno to cane dtion jon rift, crof8 tho end of the
trlen under tho rocks on the shore 0' tho loch ; keep up
tho wntorcourso that' 4 dry tho noo, mathnp int.) tin
burn, nn' then wo must seo how wo cm olmnco to bo
upsides wi'm. Tho wund's verra light nn' froilii ,
an' ii's no in a good nirt. But I doot they'll no touch
on't nnd if not, wo'll tnlroumvout thorn yet ; an' Ilabblo
will jiiRt stop on this sldo o' tho lake, and keep gude
watch 0' them. ,
Sydney had beon keeping closo m obedience to ordors
hut he bnri, nevertheless, glanced from behind Ills stone
down over the splendid pnnoramn bolnro him. f'n n'J
Bides of them were riven arid shattered mns'fS of
primeval granite, split Irom tho pnr.nt poak by the
elomentd, ind cnat in confusion around tbi-m. ?-omn
hnrl fallen and rollorl far down tho inonntnin side, nnd
there lay half imbedded in n »^»nt verdure ; othcis had
not gone so fnr, but lay poi-ed in all positions ; nud
innny in S3 miraculous n mauuer, that it turned
as if the olightoat pufl of wind, tho fall of
d. stone against them, would Bend them thun
dering nnd ornBhlng down Into the vnlloy— nn
avnlnnchoofgrnultej and yot, probably, they hnd en
dured tho rudeBt storms that scutho the moun'ninB, for
centuries, without budging nn inch. Mnnv of them
wcru old, weatherworn, «nd 'oundeil, nnd gray enough,
too, to wnrrnnt tho supposition. Indeed, tbo general
g-ey line of tbe-o upper peaki Imd givon iho mountain
Kb nmno— tho Monndh G n», or Gniy Hill. In ono of
the ninny r-fs into wbich tbo penk was np'ir, thnv
wero now lyicg. At n short diBtnuco nwny to the
left and ilcht, nnd behind them, wero nionntain tops of
overy shape and form in mountain architecture— fl.it,
penked, rounded, fraooth, knobbed, forked, cono-shnped,
s iddle-bocKed, nr.d presenting a variety and fantastloiiess
ol outline so bold and striking thnt human ingenuity
could never havo conccivod it ; nnd yet. ynri-tua ns they
were, and nlrlking their nlternntinns of light nnd riinile,
an cloud or nun swept over them, tiny harmonised
beautifully and wonderfully. Before thorn widoswell
ing plains of heather were broken with numbers of
eilvery lochs, of nil s'rnpen nnd tizos : by some of re hich
the river before mentioned floweo, looking afar off in
the sun-irlisten liken silver Hi-riitnt; pomocf the IooIib
wero graced with tmnll island*, others were witl out,
nnd many ffuro dotted about with trees of various
kinds. The distance was bounded by nwe menu. tnin
peaks, which crew more and more indistinct in the dls
tnncc. Tho Monadh Glos went down on on') Ride n
sheer precipice, almoBt k perpendicular faco of rock, for
5 tremendous depth, when it was broken by n sirt of
small plateau, after which it full moro gradually down
to tho glen below, but is was all hnro nnd very rocky,
nnd touched nnd Bemncil with scanty verdure nvnglcd
with heather. On their nilo it w*s moro brokm nnd
rugu'od, and it was up this sido ihoy lml como. A
littlo furthor to the left wns n deep ohnsm, n tort of
trcmondous gnttor or furrow, running Ft. II m-iro gra
dually ir. n ravino down tho rnoiintni'i fide; and down
this they had to go nccordlng to Evan's plan. Ilelow,
about twn-ihirils down, wn- tho glen in wliich the deer
were, nnd to tho left was a littlo locb, oov dimpling in
(ho sunlight, nnd of a singular palo green colour— hence
iln name, Uainc, or green. Around it for s:nn dia
tnnce was plenty nf herbage ; it was nn oatis. s.ydnoy
was gating in delight at ;ho p.-oepect, wbon Evan
touched his elbow Mjfily, siying —
' We'll he gnncin', for it's a rough fivo miles roond
tho glen;' nnd crawling bickwarda on bin hands and
knees, he reached tho ravine referred to, followed by
Sydney, The M'Cluny, and Rabhie, and they plung'.d
into it, and mndo their way down ns hnstily as they
could. It wns a rough headlong Bcrnmblo, Boruowhnt
dangeroiiB at times, when a slip might have pitched
any ol thorn down fifty or a hundred loot. But It won
onpier work than galling up, and no co-unity recurred,
nnd after SDlno fivo-nnd-t\veii!y nu.ulcs' tmnrt travel
ling downward, they btgan to slacken speed n I. It. An
other quarter of nn'hour brought them to tha lovo1 of
tho plnteau in which tho glen or corric Iny, liko the
scooped ilm of » plate, and whoro thiy had seen tho
door. In 11 few niinutoa they cv.no in sijht of tho imall
loch no'iccd nbove.
' Rnhbio, mon, He wait there ;' nnd Evan pointed Io
a securo hiding-place, which Kribbio at once took to
with the dogs.
'.' And now, though the doer aro within half n mile of
119, we havo to mr.kc a long round to got to them,' xnid
Tho M'Cluny, imitating Evan's example, nnd stepriiig
kn^c-dcep into the shallow wntora if tho lake. Along
tho shore Iny n confused heap of roclcn, tho debris of tho
Monadh Glas, nnd behind thero, sometimes tneo nnd
somotimcB waist dcop, they waded and scrambled along.
At length they enmo to an open bit, nnd Brill imitating
Evan, who by his genturc-a unjoinorl tho utmost caution,
they first crawled nnd presently lnid thcuis-lvea ou thoir
bellies, nnd taking ndvnntago uf uv.-ry stono nnd every
tuft of hentlior which might concsal thorn from the ever
watchful nnd BUBploinu' hinds, thun they wrljitljil along
liko Red Indians or flat fish. Whllo working alone in
this position, one of tl.oso odd, nheurd notions wtlcli
always will come into n innn'a head at tho wrong time,
occurred to Sydney. Ho thought of what n queer fi^uro
they would out viewed by tho eyes of n Lont!on-brr-d
young lady; nud tho idea of somo foolish nud qnizzirnl
remark that w.inld bo in ado by Laura Smith. Jones, or
Brown, crossed him, nud do what ho would, ho could
nnt help toughing. Ho strovo to impress hiinst-lr with
the dignity of deer-stalking ; the ncres-ity fir the ut
most caution ; called himself' am and liliot;' it was of
no uso. Tho further he crawled tho more 1'- laughed.
The M'CluDy looked round inquiringly; ho Ind picked
up a dab of mud on tho end of Ilia nose, nnd this trifling
matlor, ridiculous as it was, started him ulrehli, Tbo
moro he t'ied to restrain himsolf the worsn his lungs
shook. Ho ranmged, howovor, to bury his fnco In his
handkerchief, so m to r-upprcss any noise calculated to
alarm the deer. Tho astonishment of Tho M'Cluny and
Evnn mny bo imagined.
' What's como to the jontlomnn; has ony thing bitten
him t' grunted Evan under his br- ath. This of course
set Sydney off afresh. Tho M'Cluny ftarcd round at
him, nnd finally bognn tn crin too; 'Itwai so dtucod
funny, wasn't it, to too n fellow laughing at nothing In
that way that— ha ! ha ! it was deuced nbsunl, nnd yot it
was n good joko too;' and Bpeedily he buried his face in
hU hands, and roared ns gently ns a euckiim dove too, to
his heart's content, though without the slightest notion
nt wlint Ho wns lauglnng at. At tins piece ot nhecr In
nnnity upon bin chief's part, Evan literally crawled nw.\y
from them in disgust, and after n time, Hion moro col
lected, the delinquent deor-stalkers followed humbly,
leirtlly athamed of themselves. Fortunately n slight
rise in the ground hnd proventcd nny evil (fleets fr- m
their ill-timed mirth; nnd after ft few ynrd- further, the
dnngorons ground was pnesorf, ond, sheltered by high
rocks, they wore ablo to walk for n comidtirablo distance
upright.
At length they entered a diy watercourse, the bed of
which showed ovidencos cf the furious torrent which
poured down the Mountain side when tho snows gave
boforo the summer sun. After proceeding along thU for
Bonio three-quartern of n mile, sjmctlincs ntooplng, some
times crawling, they had to slip up over tho bank, and
do another bit of swarming along on thoir hollies. Tnla
timo it wnB over rt ivet mo«s; It was no lnughing matter,
nnd they had to lie very closely imloed, mul to slop now
nnd then, noting in strict nccordnnco to Evan's motions.
And now they enmc to a dirty little burn, half full of
pent wator; into this Evan slid Icet foremost, without
hesitation, riplash, or rcmoron, nllil tho others Imitated
him, kfoping only their rifles and their powdor dry.
Along this they crept, sometime.* on tho muddy hank,
BOinotliiicB in the water, until Evan motioned a halt,
and enjoined them to wait until ho cauio back, or sig
nalled to them. Beyond tho burn, about a hundred
ynrdsor 60, waBalow flit gray rock; (IiIb was broken,
and dispersed nbnut in fragments. If was tho rock
noticed from tho peak of tho Monadh Gla9, nnd Evan
crept towards it, with tho greatest caution, to recon
noitre. A dlscns.-ion then nros-; as to who should tnko
tho allot If ono occurred, onch insisting that tho other
should take it. 1'innlly, Sydney gavu iu, and agroed to
try hlu hand for the first time.
They wntohed Evnn rr»wl towards tho rock, lift his
he^d gently, and then kinking it nguiri, ho boekonod
them towards him. They rcponted the process ho hnd
used as nearly ai possible, keeping themselves out of
sight, and ns close «s was practicable. Presently they
reached tho shelter ol the rock. Halting their boads
very Rontly, and between a orovlco in tho rock, they
saw, barely n hundred yards off, two hintla Btnnding and
Kaziog sucplaloiuiy about them. Sydney pushed the
musilo of his nfla toward* tho crcvlco. A t this moment
tho attention ol ono of tho hinds became fiicd upon tho
rock behind which they wore lying. It oocmod to ocour
to her that it might ooncoal an oncmy. The slightest
motion would Invo destroyed all ohauco nf a shot, to nil
cmalncd motionless. 'I thought they didn't shoot tho
lundii,' wondered Sydney within himself, and thinking
what had hecoruo of tho stags— hla ideu wnn that ho was
expected to shoot ono of tlieso hinda— when suddenly ho
Baw eomothiiig inovo which ho lind glanced p»6t, aud
mistaken for the bars twigs of f orao plant. They wero
tho nntlcrsofono nf thoetogs which wns reposing; he
wns whisking the fllca from his flank in iudolont enjoy
mont. The tips of his nntlers wero all they could see of
htm. Tho hind before mentioned having satisfied
her (nspiolons, began to flnp her ears, nnd then
putting down hor head, , tcratehed ono of them
with ono of her binder feot ; looked up niinin suddenly,
again scratched her car, and begnn to pick a mouthful
or two. The olhor hind was looking In another direc
tion. A splondid— n magnificent hend, by the Lord !
Da'i a n»blo beast that. By St. Andrew we're In luck,
for pe must h»ve him,' whispered Tho ll'Cluny.
'Wohad h»Uc: wilt for »«hot till ho get« up of hi»
ova guard ; vrt us puhstly t»fc liiutmi thia rook.
? — ? ^zz^T^^jg
Tha wind Is dead towards us, and Er»n nhall air. -.
notlc» the moment be moves— and we can Imi »„ .,!„
unrl get our wind nf tor all thnt crawling— lm| T hli. 1 '
require refreshing.' In truth thoyVd had a 1' *
Bcrimble, ('r although tho relation does not tnko l?,n» iS
tell, thoy had been n conBidernblo time ren.'Iiini- 11 »t
po.itinn. The MTIuny munched hU bbJlit, 'well
rtnturatcd with bum water, and lock a bud of «w!i
to keep out tho cnld. Tlioy waited for more thai, »T
hour under Bbelter of tho rcclt, aud still the st-c unm.. '
no intention of moving. b Bul'»W
' I'm thinkln' I'll jnet fustlo him up ; anil ve'd h.it
tnk tho shot, lor one o' them hinds has looked vri' nn II
0' dnot towards mb ranir thun nHce; au' she's tetlln1 iv
way.' nnid Kvnn In n low nliiipor! *' n thu
' Very well,' answered Sydney at once, llftlnirliti
bend towards thu rifle, which lay poi.itid towatds ik!
deer on the crovioo of rock. a
'If so hurry. Tnk it cool, nn' pit on nraltlicr Mn
nn' lot's hno nne mii-(firps,'snid Evan. p-
Sydney did ns he was) deflrcd.
' No»,' enid Ev»n, ' mind, when I fustlo lio'll ino.t
jnomp iipan'ntopfornstoond toc*tch whnr tho Bbonrl
come- 1 fr.10. DlniiB male a pnuso, hu gie-'t him behind the
shoutlior if poB'lble, and If noo, jiu.t doyoro best ?„!
dnm the Uvinn ;' nnd hid hnniUomo fnco now \L\\i^
up with excitement. Tho M'Cluny knelt witl, his rifla
nlfl'i conkod to lond wlmtuvor nid mieht be required a?
thli mniuei t, |ust ns Sydney was rising on his knee
'Cr.mk, cronk.' Trent a huge ciow that had coma
Railing towards them down the glun unperceived till :»
wn» to.i Into. The momont lie emiifht i-lght of thom ha
sentout bin warning 'croak.' The ttng sprang to I,!,
feet like lightning, aud before 3ydney conlil get hlsrifl to
his Bhoulder hnd put (1 Inrge ma-« of rook butwein tlum
Evnn Bworoo tromcudouB oath in Gaelic. 'The II»rt
of tho Monadh Gin* I I dooted it all along. IU,
mon dinnul, diaonl, diaoul!'
' Dinnrntr n I You black devil 1' said Tho M'Clunv
raising hia rifle, ns tho crow almost hovered ovor their
heailH for n second about Bixtv yards up, liko a hnv
exulting nt having got nnother inio n scrapo. ' Crack '
wont the pieco. Tho crnw wns driven a yard Into tho
nlr. much to his astonishment no doubt, nnd rtmt
whirling nnd spinning round and round head over heels
plump down on tho rock within f. ur ynnis of tlitm
nnH,alinn9t like nn echo to his pipco, 'or«ck'wcnt
Sydney's rifle. Round wheeled Tho M'Cluny nnd
Even. 'He's got it, hy O ? 1' s&id tlic former
' There's bluid on tho licntbor yet ; hurrah 1' (.114
Evaii, ns n fino stag wns seen to Rtnpg'r f..r n 'ccond «
Sydney's fire, nnd Ihen, reonvcring himself, to go off at
tcorri down the glen towards tho loch.
The whole thing pissed in ton seconds. Tho croak of
tho crnw nud his su.idon doom— tho dopnrluro of tho
huge hurt of tho Monadh Olns, wliloh Evnn bnrl rr«r»
nUod— and Iho advonfc of tho other iitng, which had.
lieeu lying concealed cloao nt hnnd snuiowhero to the
left, and crossed the rock on his way nftcr his cora
pauon«, hard y crvonty yards off; and just as ha was
going to recover his riflo Sydnoy hid lakon idmoBta
unnp shot nt him, nnd had evidently hit him hard.
And now nil wns excitcmont. ' Awn wi' ve.' nhnulM
Evan, now thoroughly rou?od. And thoy set oft' ia
hnstv pursuit, bonring straight down townrdi thn spot
wlicrn UnM ii- l.iy with the do^n, in tho hnpa tint ha
would cither have been able to turn the stng or put tbo
dogn bo elnpely on him ns to bring him to h»y. If th0
ttig lrfc ths e'en ho muBt go on one eido or the oilier of
tho looh ; and if ho took the inner side, whore Rabhie
lay, it would bo all right ; if the other, they wiu'd
pp'hnbly find trncai of him. It wnn n good miln nud s.
half down the glen to tho head of Iho Inch, and tlioj
kept up a good rnttlii.g pnno till they renohrd it. Ilab
was thero before thom, and as thty enmo within fight of
the loch thoy hbnrd the dogn nnd saw the Btng standing
nt bay in the water and Kibliiy hn«tf nlng up towards
them at the Bnmc moment. Several times one --r other
of the dogs mado dnihoe at tho stuj, hut each
timo the fino fellow, nwocping around on
rlthor eido, manaeed to nvoH neicg pinnul nidi
Ills brond branching horns, turning and wheclinp;
nt every charge liko a woll-lrained wnr-horfe. Tho
water where Im stood was too de*p for tbo dogs to rnnlta
good thoir spring, whllo they nnrruwly etcnpcil being
gored. At this moment, juat ns our fliends c&mowitMn
three or four hundred ynrrtn of tho Inch, llieRUg,
whether cornel. mi of nppronchinu danger or no, hroko
off, and with three or four mnd \ilun^es nnd hounds tcok
tho writer, swimming str ngly f»r ths other nhrne of tho
hell, which waB about on'- third of n mile ncrofs. Tho
dogs followed hard upon him, strnining every nutro to
ovt-rtnka him, but wounded m he und uhtedly w»Blia
outstripped thom vinibly. It was n Bplcndid s!r;ht to
sec tho noble animal br- nst the wators pursuid by liii
pitiUnt but relontless foes. Chsnging their coursj, out
friondB now boro for the opposite shore, where he in
tended landing, keeping up tho pare, hut oro they hud
got withiu reach of tho spot tho Bt»g reapheil tho thore,
►hook the drops from bis brow, nnd, 03 if refresher! hy
his bntb, cantered, though honvlly, up tho slope of tin
lake, dipped the brow, and disappeared. Tho dogs fol
lowed in a few seconds nftcr.
11 So matter,' gasped Tho M'Cluny with Iho sharp
nca' of the ruu ; no matter : they'll never leave him.'
UpovBrtno lirow, and tho Hogs are tracking him
assiduously, for the deer i-nowhoio to bo Been. Onwards
iMill. The spec' is kept up. Sinews of steel and luogi
of brass. ' M'Cluny'n blowing,' thought Sydney with
secrot delight- 'Gnd I tho 8.ix?n legs »ro useful propi
in tin ir way after nil. But thnt confounded loreater i-
a regular stenm-encine nnd n holkr to spare. I'vo do
chance with him; but novor mind him.' The dogiara
out of Right.
'ilarkl thov have him at bay ngain I ' said Thj
M'Cluny.
'Ay! nyl in tho Pinkio burn, I doot; nnd he'll na*
budgo frao thar, lor ho was not ower gay up the brae,' tail
Evan, bounding up the steep liko a deer and a fresh one.
Another struggle up tho brow, and there, snmo distanca
below them iu n widish burn, stood tho stag, again at
bay.
'' He'll no leave that, so yo may eon tak it easv, if it
plcaso ye.'
'And it does please me, for by all the saints it's a
stiff run that.' And Tho M'Cluny, run to a stand still,
paused to recover breath.
'Ay!ny! it's no that bad,' said Evnn 'An'benu
saul, but (.hero's stuff in yon lad, for n Suthcron, too.'
And ho glanced nt Sydney approvingly, who bad won
his honrt by the almost snap shot at tho stag, nnd fur
ther now by his stout running.
Sydney wns nlmost run to a stnnd still, for the pace
hnd been very severe, tho distance no joko even on th*
level, and the ground infcrnnl (for running).
After a fow minutes they descended. It was a bit of a
scramble.
' Hnve fit him, Luafh 1 Hold him, good Bran 1 Good
dogs I good dogs ! ' But tho good dogs couldn't manage it.
The burn was wide, deep, and rnpid. The sing stood
upon a smnll flat rock in tbo centre, nnd there vru
nothing to spring from. Again and ognin they at
tempted it, caught scratches from tho stag's antlers, but
fortunately nothing severe It mado them cautious
however. As hia foes approached ho glunced half round
to tho other aide, but ho either doubted his strength or
scorned to fly nny further. Unsheathing his skeno dhn,
Evan plunged almost to his waist into the ►trcam abora
the rock. The stag faced half round to meet the now
foe, and loft an opening, which Bran took instant adrau
tage of, and in a second both dogs had him firmly.
Coming from tho burn upon him from behind, Kvnn
mado good his footing. Tho stag mado a fruitiest
effoTt to free himself from tho dogs. At the same mo
ment, while on his knees by the atng's side, Evan
stretched forth his arm, and the bright blade of the
skene dim flushed oa it was buried to the hilt in ths
deer's throat. With a last convulsive effort ho threw
tho dogs from him, and;fulllng against Evan, stog, dogi,
nnd man wont headlong into the Btreara together.
(2b be continued.)
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