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Highland Mountain Stags and Hinds - A Bivouac - Death of the Stag.
CHAPTER XXXII.
Autumn Day on the Mountain-Stags and Hinds-A Bivouac-Death of
the Stag.
In the same ratio that steamboats, railways, coaches, and every
other kind of conveyance were crowded in the months of July
and August with men, dogs, and guns, all travelling northwards,
every road is now occupied by travellers to the south ; for the
cold blasts of the mountain, and the uncertain state of the
weather, in the Highlands, drive most of our English sportsmen
back again to the more solid comforts of their own homes.
Nevertheless, there is, perhaps, more variety of sport, and more
objects of interest to the hunter and naturalist, to be met with
during the autumn and winter months in the northern parts of
Scotland than during any other season of the year. And, as
for weather, after the first burst of the equinoctial winds and
rains, the climate is as good as in any part of Great Britain.
The fine clear bracing frosts of the autumn are nowhere to be
felt with greater enjoyment than on the mountains. It is not,
indeed, quite so desirable to bivouac out, " sub Jove frigido," in
the month of October or November, with no covering but a
plaid and a heap of heather, as it is in July or August; still I
have done so, and been none the worse for it.
Some years back I remember sleeping under a rock in the
beginning of October with much satisfaction, and no ill consequences to myself.
The red deer had just commenced what is called by the Highlanders roaring, i. e. uttering their loud cries of defiance to rival
stags, and of warning to their rival mistresses.
Th¾re had been seen, and reported to me, a particularly large
and fine antlered stag, whose branching honours I wished to
transfer from the mountain side to the walls of my own hall.
Donald and myself accordingly, one fine morning, early in
October, started before daybreak for a distant part of the moun
tain, where we expected to find him ; and we resolved to pass the
night at a shepherd's house far up in the hills, if we found that
our chace led us too far from home to return the same evening.
Long was our walk that day before we saw horn or hoof;
many a likely burn and corrie did we search in vain. The
shepherds had been scouring the hills the day before for their
sheep, to divide those which were to winter in the low ground from
those which were to remain on the hills. However, the day was
fine and frosty, and we were in the midst of some of the most
magnificent scenery in Scotland; so that I, at least, was not
much distressed at our want of luck. Poor Donald, who had
not the same enjoyment in the beauty of the scene, unless it were
enlivened by a herd of deer here and there, began to grumble
and lament our hard fate ; particularly as towards evening wild
masses of cloud began to sweep up the glens and along the sides
of the mountain, and every now and then a storm of cold rain
and sleet added to the discomfort of our position. There was,
however, something so very desolate and wild in the scene and the
day, that, wrapt in my plaid, I stalked slowly on enjoying the
whole thing as much as if the elements had been in better temper,
and the Goddess of Hunting propitious.
We came in the afternoon to a rocky burn, along the course
of which was our line of march. To the left rose an interminable looking mountain, over the sides of which were scattered a wilderness of grey rock and stone, sometimes forming immense precipices, and in other places degenerating into large tracts of
loose and water-worn grey shingle, apparently collected and
heaped together by the winter floods. Great masses of rock
were scattered about, resting on their angles, and looking as if
the wind, which was blowing a perfect gale, would hurl them
down on us.
Amongst all this dreary waste of rock and stone, there were
large patches of bright green pasture, and rushes on the level
spots, formed by the damming up of the springs and mountain
streams.
Stretching away to our right wTas a great expanse of brown
heather and swampy ground, dotted with innumerable pools of
black-looking water. The horizon on every side was shut out
by the approaching masses of rain and drift. The clouds closed
round us, and the rain began to fall in straight hard torrents ;
at the same time, however, completely allaying the wind.
" Well, well," said Donald, " I just dinna ken what to do."
Even I began to think that we might as well have remained at
home ; but, putting the best face on the matter, we got under
a projecting bank of the burn, and took out our provision of oatcake and cold grouse, and having demolished that, and made a
considerable vacuum in the whisky flask, I lit my cigar, and
meditated on the vanity of human pursuits in general, and of
deerstalking in particular, while dreamy visions of balls, operas,
and the last pair of blue eyes that I had sworn everlasting allegiance to, passed before me.
Donald was employed in the more useful employment of
bobbing for burn trout with a line and hook he had produced
out of his bonnet-that wonderful blue bonnet, which, like the
bag in the fairy tale, contains anything and everything which is
required at a moment's notice. His bait was the worms which
in a somewhat sulky mood he kicked out of their damp hornet
about the edge of the burn. Presently the ring-ousel began to
whistle on the hill side, and the cock grouse to crow in the valley
below us. Roused by these omens of better weather, I looked
out from our shelter, and saw the face of the sun struggling to
show itself through the masses of cloud, while the rain fell in
larger but more scattered drops. In a quarter of an hour the
clouds were rapidly disappearing, and the face of the hill as
quickly opening to our view. We remained under shelter a few
minutes longer, when suddenly, as if by magic, or like the lifting
of the curtain at a theatre, the whole hill was perfectly clear
from clouds, and looked more bright and splendidly beautiful than
anything I had ever seen. No symptoms were left of the rain,
excepting the drops on the heather, which shone like diamonds
in the evening sun. The masses of rock came out in every
degree of 'light and shade, from dazzling white to the darkest
purple, streaked here and there with the overpourings of the
swollen rills and springs, which danced and leapt from rock to
rock, and from crag to crag, looking like streams of silver.
" How beautiful!" was both my inward and outward exclamation. " Deed it 's not just so dour as it was," said Donald ;
" but, the Lord guide us ! look at yon," he continued, fixing his
eye on a distant slope, at the same time slowly winding up his
line and pouching his trout, of which he had caught a goodly
number. " Tak your perspective, Sir, and look there," he
added, pointing with his chin. I accordingly took my perspective, as he always called my pocket-telescope, and saw a long
line of deer winding from amongst the broken granite in single
file down towards us. They kept advancing one after the other,
and had a most singular appearance as their line f'ollowed the
undulations of the ground. They came slowly on, to the number of more than sixty (all hinds, not a horn amongst them),
till they arrived at a piece of tableland four or five hundred
yards from us, when they spread about to feed, occasionally
shaking off the raindrops from their hides, much in the same
manner as a dog does on coming out of the water.
"They are no that canny," said Donald. " Nous verrons"
said I. " What 's your wull ?" was his answer ; " I 'm no understanding Latin, though my wife has a cousin who is a placed
minister." " Why, Donald, I meant to say that we shall soon
see whether they are canny or not: a rifle-ball is a sure remedy
for all witchcraft." Certainly there was something rather
startling in the way they all suddenly appeared as it were from
the bowels of the mountain, and the deliberate, unconcerned
manner in which they set to work feeding like so many tame
cattle.
We had but a short distance to stalk. I kept the course
of a small stream which led through the middle of the herd ;
Donald followed me with my gun. We crept up till we reckoned
that we must be within an easy shot, and then, looking most
cautiously through the crevices and cuts in the bank, I saw that
we were in the very centre of the herd : many of the deer were
within twenty or thirty yards, and all feeding quickly and unconscious of any danger. Amongst the nearest to me was a
remarkably large hind, which we had before observed as being
the leader and biggest of the herd. I made a sign to Donald
that I would shoot her, and left him to take what he liked of
the flock after I fired.
Taking a deliberate and cool aim at her shoulder, I pulled the
trigger; but, alas! the wet had got between the cap and nipple-end. All that followed was a harmless snap : the deer heard it,
and starting from their food rushed together in a confused heap
as if to give Donald a fair chance at the entire flock, a kind of
shot he rather rejoiced in. Before I could get a dry cap on my
gun, snap, snap, went both his barrels ; and when I looked up,
it was but to see the whole herd quietly trotting up the hill, out
of shot, but apparently not very much frightened, as they had
not seen us, or found out exactly where the sound came from.
" We are just twa fules, begging your honour's pardon, and only
fit to weave hose by the ingle," said Donald. I could not contradict him. The mischief was done ; so we had nothing for it
but to wipe out our guns as well as we could and proceed on our
wandering. We followed the probable line of the deer's march,
and before night saw them in a distant valley feeding again
quite unconcernedly.
" Hark! what is that?" said I, as a hollow roar like an angry
bull was heard not far from us. " Kep down, kep down," said
Donald, suiting the action to the word, and pressing me down
with his hand ; " it 's just a big staig." All the hinds looked up,
and, following the direction of their heads, we saw an immense
hart coming over the brow of the hill three hundred yards from
us. He might easily have seen us, but seemed too intent on the
hinds to think of anything else. On the height of the hill he
halted, and stretching out his neck and lowering his head, bellowed again. He then rushed down the hill like a mad beast:
when half way down he was answered from a distance by another
stag. He instantly halted, and looking in that direction roared
repeatedly, while we could see in the evening air, which had
become cold and frosty, his breath coming out of his nostrils
like smoke. Presently he was answered by another and another
stag, and the whole distance seemed alive with them. A more
unearthly noise I never heard, as it echoed and re-echoed through
the rocky glens that surrounded us.
The setting sun threw a strong light on the first comer, cast
ing a kind of yellow glare on his horns and head, while his body
was in deep shade, giving him a most singular appearance, particularly when combined with his hoarse and strange bellowing.
As the evening closed in, their cries became almost incessant,
while here and there we heard the clash of horns as two rival
stags met and fought a few rounds together. None, however,
seemed inclined to try their strength with the large hart who
had first appeared. The last time we saw him, in the gloom of
the evening, he was rolling in a small pool of water, with
several of the hinds standing quietly round him, while the
smaller stags kept passing to and fro near the hinds, but afraid
to approach too close to their watchful rival, who was always
ready to jump up and dash at any of them who ventured within
a certain distance of his seraglio. " Donald," I whispered, " I
would noi have lost this sight for a hundred pounds." " Deed,
no, its grand," said he. " In all my travels on the hill I never
saw the like." Indeed it is very seldom that chances combine
to enable a deerstalker to quietly look on at such a strange
meeting of deer as we had witnessed that evening. But night
was coming on, and though the moon was clear and full, we did
not like to start off for the shepherd's house, through the swamps
and swollen burns among which we should have had to pass, nor
did we forget that our road would be through the valley where
all this congregation of deer were. So after consulting, we
turned off to leeward to bivouac amongst the rocks at the back
of the hill, at a sufficient distance from the deer not to disturb
them by our necessary occupation of cooking the trout, which
our evening meal was to consist of. Having hunted out some
of the driest of the fir-roots which were in abundance near us,
we soon made a bright fire out of view of the deer, and after
eating some fish and drying our clothes pretty well, we found a
snug corner in the rocks, where, wrapped up in our plaids and
covered with heather, we arranged ourselves to sleep.
Several times during the night I got up and listened to the
wild bellowing of the deer : sometimes it sounded close to us,
and at other times far away. To an unaccustomed ear it might
easily have passed for the roaring of a host of much more dangerous wild beasts, so loud and hollow did it sound. I awoke
in the morning cold and stiff, but soon put my blood into circulation by running two or three times up and down a steep bit of
the hill. As for Donald, he shook himself, took a pinch of
snuff, and was all right. The sun was not yet above the horizon,
though the tops of the mountains to the west were already
brightly gilt by its rays, and the grouse cocks were answering
each other in every direction.
Having discharged our guns, which we did close to a steep and
very noisy cascade in the burn, so that the report could scarcely
be heard beyond the place we were in. we dried the locks as well
as we could, and after a meagre breakfast on the remains of the
trout and some very wretched remnants of oatcake, we proceeded
on our journey. The deer had moved from the valley where we
had left them the previous evening ; but Donald, who knew
every mountain and glen in the country, having ascertained
exactly the way the wind came from, led me off in an easterly
direction. The sun was well up when we came towards the
summit of a hill from which he expected to see the herd, and his
anticipations proved to be correct; on looking carefully down into
the extended valley below us, we saw the whole of them. They
had apparently finished feeding, and were retiring to rest on a
hill side which faced the morning sun ; the hinds were in a compact body, while the largest hart kept a little to their rear, and
constantly employed himself in keeping off a number of smaller
stags who were moving about; occasionally one of these would
make an impatient rush into the centre of the herd of hinds, but
was as quickly driven out by the large stag, who then returned to
his post in the rear. When they had ascended to near the
summit, the hinds began to drop one by one into the long heather,
until they were all lying down, with the exception of five or six
who kept constantly fidgeting about, turning their long ears and
snuffing the air in all directions. The old stag walked quietly
about, going round and round the herd; now and then lying
down for a few moments, and then rising again, to see that no
other stag intruded too near. The smaller stags kept continually
circling round the whole herd; occasionally two of these youngsters would meet, but after a few tilts at each other, separated
again and continued their watchful march. I saw no chance of
getting near the big-antlered leader, though one of the smaller
stags could easily have been shot. After consulting with Donald,
I sent him to make a large circuit, and when he got quite round
them he was to show himself in the distance to the deer. We
reckoned on their leaving the glen by a particular pass, close to
which I stationed myself. I kept both gun and rifle with me.
From my position, though I could not see Donald, I had a good
view of the deer. After waiting for nearly an hour, I saw one
of the smaller stags suddenly stop in his rounds, and having gazed
for a moment or two in the direction in which I knew Donald
was, he trotted nearer to the hinds, still, however, halting occasionally, and turning an anxious glance down the valley. I saw
by his manner that he had not quite made up his mind as to whether there was ¾n enemy at hand ; not having got the wind of
Donald, but probably having caught a glimpse of some part of
his cap or dress.
The stag then stood motionless on a small hillock, with his
head turned towards the suspected quarter, though none of his
rivals took any notice of h m. The hinds, one and all, kept a
most anxious watch on his movements, evidently aware that he
suspected some danger. In the meantime Donald seemed to have
got a little more to windward of the deer. Presently one old
hind got up and snuffed the air, then another and another, till all
were on their legs; still they were not decided as to the danger.
At last a general panic seemed to seize the hinds, and they all
trotted together a short way up the hill; the large stag had got up
also, but seemed not at all disposed to make off. The hinds came
to a halt near the top of the first slope of the hill, and were joined
immediately by about a dozen stags, who, collecting together,
galloped up the hill to join them ; this seemed to arouse the old
fellow, and he trotted up after them. The hinds only waited for
his joining them, and then the whole herd set off towards my pass.
They had to cross a trifling hollow, during which time I lost sight
of them. When they emerged their order had quite changed ;
first of all came eight stags in a body, jostling each other as they
hurried up through the narrow passes of the rocks ; then came
the whole lot of hinds, mostly in single file, but breaking into
confused flocks as they passed over pieces of heather and open
ground ; next to them came the object of our manoeuvres, and at
a small distance behind him the rest of the stags, four or five in
number. On they came, sometimes in full view and sometimes
half concealed from me. Donald, too, now showed himself,
waving his plaid. The hindmost deer halted on seeing him, and
then rushed on to the main herd, who now all got into rare confusion as they hurried on to the pass through which they left the
glen. The foremost stags were now passing one by one within
forty yards of me ; just at that point they had to make a spring
over a kind of chasm in their road. I kept quite motionless, and
they did not observe me, half concealed as I was amongst the grey
rocks. Now came the hinds, with a noise like a rushing stream,
amongst them were four or five stags ; they were trotting quickly
past me, when an unlucky hind caught sight of my rifle-barrel as
a ray of the sun fell upon it; the rest of the* herd took the
alarm from her manner, and they all rushed through the pass in
the most mad confusion. The difficult part was only a few yards
in length, and once through this, they got into regular order
again. But where is their lord and leader ? I was afraid to look
over my ambuscade for fear of turning him. Just as I was about
to do so, however, I heard his step on the stones, and in the next
moment he was in full view passing broadside to me, but going
slowly and undecided whether to proceed or turn back, having
perceived the panic of the rest of the flock. When he came to
the difficult point where the rest had leaped, he halted for a moment, looking round. The next moment my rifle-ball passed
through the top of his shoulder, just too high ; the blow, however, knocked him down, and before he was up I had my gun in
my hand ; the poor brute rose, and looked wildly round ; not
knowing where the enemy was, nor which way to go, he stood
still, looking with anxious glance at his companions, who were
galloping off up an opposite slope. Expecting him to drop dead
every moment, I did not pull the trigger, but kept my aim on
him. The way the rest had gone seemed too rough for him, and
after standing for a minute gazing after them, he turned round
with the intention, probably, of going down the hill to some well
known burn where he had been in the habit of bathing, and cooling his limbs. He twice fell to his knees before he had gone five
yards, and then walked slowly away. I thought he might recover
strength, and taking a deliberate aim, I fired. This time he fell
without a struggle, perfectly dead. Donald joined me by the
time I had bled him, and examined the shot-marks. One had
broken the very top of his shoulder, but just missed the large
arteries ; the other ball seemed to have passed through his heart.
The Highlander was vastly delighted at our getting the stag we
had determined on, but his enjoyment was somewhat damped by
my not having sent both barrels into the middle of the hinds.
" Aiblins your honour would have tuk down twa or three at each
shot, and the brutes will all be off our march in an hour's time.
Lord, Sir, if I had only been where your honour was, with the
dooble-barrel loaded with swan-post, I'd hae rattled it about their
lugs ; I fairly suspect I'd have put down half-a-dizen." I consoled Donald with a dram, and we set to work to prepare our stag
for taking home, which, with the help of a shepherd's pony, we
succeeded in doing before night.
Donald, though, professedly, he cared for neither wind nor
weather, was in bed all the next day, from what he called rheumatiz, but what I called whisky toddy, taken to counteract any
bad effects of his cold bivouac ; for my own part, I did not feel
at all the worse for our cool couch, and was quite ready to renew
the campaign.
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