Page:King Edward VII. as a sportsman by Watson, Alfred Edward Thomas.djvu/262

 on this auspicious occasion. Conachcraig lies far up Glen Gelder, and rises to a height of 2800 feet, so that the Prince was not indulged with an easy pot-shot in the woods close to the Castle for his first stag.

We can picture John Grant and his young charge working up the slopes of the glen, the alert eyes of the stalker ever on the outlook across the valley. Presently he calls a halt, and scans the steep sides of a distant ravine. There are deer feeding at the foot, and he points them out to the young Prince, whose inexperienced eyes can detect nothing but patches of purple heather and great grey boulders. The telescope is brought out and steadied upon the shoulder of a rock, minute instructions are given as to the exact spot to be observed; and then, as if by magic, the deer seem to start out of the ground, clearly defined and so close that the observer drops his voice lest they should hear him. There are two, three, four stags amongst them. He is all impatience to be after them, but John Grant is in no hurry. There are ways and means to be considered, and the direction of the wind is unfavourable. He slings the telescope across his shoulders, picks up the rifle, and they start on a long detour, which is destined to bring them, by steep and rugged ways, to the corrie at the head of the ravine. In an hour they are across the glen and half-way up the farther slope, and again the stalker calls a halt and insists on his charge taking a 'breather' before the final ascent. Then on again and upwards, on to the bare brow, and another halt whilst Grant crawls cautiously forward and peers