ie; naebody threw a turf. It was the great grey
geuse bird teuk her for a lamb. Hey! here she comes back."

In effect the great owl came sailing up, stooped and picked up the
ptarmigan it had dropped, and went off to a ledge of the mountain higher
up.

"She's spoiled a' the bonnie floores," muttered Watty, picking up his
bonnet, and climbing up again to report that the coal seam was "sae
wide," this measure being indicated by touching the face of the rock in
two places about a foot apart; and he was about to descend when he
caught sight of something away over a ridge, and pointed.

"She can see the ret-teer," he whispered. "Whisht!" Watty crept down
cautiously, his actions showing that before now he must have been out in
the deer forests at home; for as soon as he reached the bottom of the
cliff he ran to Skene, who had been watching the owl and its prey with a
curiously puzzled look as if he did not know it as a bird at home, and,
dropping on one knee, he threw his left arm over the dog's neck and held
his muzzle so that he should not bark.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

MISSING.

Every one stared at Watty, he was so completely transformed from the
sulky, ill-conditioned lad who assisted the cook. The Scottish blood in
his veins was fired by the sight of the deer and recollections of the
stalking he had witnessed in his own Highlands, when he had been with
one or other of the keepers, and his eyes flashed as he saw the advance
made with the rifled guns.

It proved to be no laborious stalk, for the deer did not apprehend
danger. The captain brought down one, the doctor another, while Steve,
although he rested his heavy rifle on a stone in taking aim, missed an
easy shot. He did better later on, though, for another opportunity
occurred enabling him to creep within sixty yards of a buck with large
spreading antlers, and he was about to fire at the animal as it stood
with head erect looking round listening to a sound in the distance, when
there was a hard breathing just at his shoulder.

"Watty, you here?" he said.

"Ay. She cam' to see her shute. Tak' a lang straight aim this time,
laddie. Dinna miss the beastie for bonnie Scotland's sake. Quick, or
she'll be gane! Tak' care; reet i' the shouther." _Bang_! "Hey, but
ye het her!"

For as the report of Steve's piece rang out and echoed from the side of
the mountain, and again from a ridge across the mossy plain at whose
edge they wandered, the stag at whic