The Eagle Cliff Part 14

In the midst of these false alarms Ivor drew up his line, and no one was aware of his success until a fish of full ten pounds' weight was floundering in the boat. The boys were yet commenting on it noisily, when Ian put a large cod beside it.

"_What_ a tug!" cried Eddie, beginning to haul up in violent haste.

"Hev a care, or the line will pairt," said McGregor.

At the same moment "Shames" himself gave a jerk, as if he had received an electric shock, and in a few seconds a large plaice and a small crab were added to the "pile!"

"I've got _something_ at last," said Mabberly, doing his best to repress excitement as he hauled in his line deliberately.

The something turned out to be an eel about four feet long, which went about the boat as if it were in its native element, and cost an amazing amount of exertion, whacking, and shouting, to subdue.

But this was nothing to the fish with which Junkie began to struggle immediately after, and which proved to be a real shark, five feet long.

After the united efforts of Ian and Donald had drawn it to the surface, Junkie was allowed to strike the gaff into it, and a loud cheer greeted the monster of the deep as it was hurled into the bottom of the boat.

Thus, in expectation, excitation, and animation, they spent the remainder of that memorable day.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

AMAZING DEEDS AND MISDEEDS AT A DEER-DRIVE.

To some casts of mind there is no aspect of nature so enchanting or romantic as that which is presented, on a fine summer day from the vantage ground of a ridge or shoulder high up on the mountains of one of our western isles.

It may be that the union of the familiar and beautiful with the unfamiliar and wild is that which arouses our enthusiastic admiration.

As we stand in the calm genial atmosphere of a summer day, surveying the land and sea-scape from a commanding height that seems to have raised us above the petty cares of life, the eye and mind pa.s.s like the lightning-flash from the contemplation of the purple heather and purple plants around--and from the home-feelings thereby engendered--to the grand, apparently illimitable ocean, and the imagination is set free to revel in the unfamiliar and romantic regions "beyond seas."

Some such thoughts were pa.s.sing in the mind of Giles Jackman, as he stood alone, rifle in hand, on such a height one splendid forenoon, and contemplated the magnificent panorama.

Far down below--so far that the lowing of the red and black specks, which were cattle, and the bleating of the white specks, which were sheep, failed to reach him--a few tiny cottages could be seen, each in the midst of a green patch that indicated cultivation. Farther on, a snow-white line told where the wavelets kissed the rugged sh.o.r.e, but no sound of the kiss reached the hunter's ear. Beyond, as if floating on the calm water, numerous rocky islets formed the playground of innumerable gulls, skarts, seals, loons, and other inhabitants of the wild north; but only to the sense of vision were their varied activities perceptible. Among these islets were a few blacker spots, which it required a steady look to enable one to recognise as the boats of fishermen; but beyond them no s.h.i.+p or sign of man was visible on the great lone sea, over, and reflected in which, hung a few soft and towering ma.s.ses of cloudland.

"If thus thy meaner works are fair, And beautiful beyond compare; How glorious must the mansions be Where Thy redeemed shall dwell with Thee!"

Jackman murmured rather than spoke the words, for no human ear was there to hear. Nevertheless there were human ears and tongues also, not far distant, engaged in earnest debate. It was on one of the ledges of the Eagle Cliff that our hunter stood. At another part of the same cliff, close to the pa.s.s where Milly Moss met with her accident, Allan Gordon stood with nearly all his visitors and several of his retainers around him.

"Higher up the pa.s.s you'll have a much better chance, Mr Barret. Is it not so, Ivor?"

The keeper, who, in kilt, hose, and bonnet, was as fine a specimen of a tall athletic Highlander as one could wish to see, replied that that was true.

"Nae doot," he said, "I hev put Mr Jackman in the best place of all, for, whativer way the deer come, they'll hev to pa.s.s close, either above or below him--an' that's maybe as weel for him wi' his queer new-fas.h.i.+oned rifle; but at the heed o' the pa.s.s is the next best place.

The only thing is that ye'll hev to tak' sure aim, for there's more room for them to stray, an' ye may chance to git only a lang shot."

"Well, then, it is not the place for me, for I am a poor shot," said Barret; "besides, I have a fancy to stay here, where I am. You say it is a very good spot, Ivor, I understand?"

"Weel, it's no' that bad as a spote," answered the keeper, with a grim smile, for he had not much opinion of Barret's spirit as a sportsman; "but it's ackward as the lawnd lies."

"Never mind. I'll stay here, and you know, laird, that I have some pleasant a.s.sociations with it in connection with your niece."

"That is more than Milly has," returned the old gentleman, laughing.

"However, have your way. Now, gentlemen, we must place ourselves quickly, for the beaters will soon be entering the wood. I will take you, Mr Mabberly, to a spot beyond the pa.s.s where you will be pretty sure of a shot. And MacRummle--where shall we place him?"

"He can do nothing wi' the gun at a', sir," muttered the keeper, in a low voice, so that he might not be overheard. "I wad putt him doon at the white rock. He'll git a lang shot at them there. Of course he'll miss, but that'll do weel enough for him--for he's easy pleased; ony way, if he tak's shootin' as he tak's fis.h.i.+n', a mere sight o' the deer, like the rise o' a salmon, 'll send him home happy."

"Very well, Ivor, arrange as you think best. And how about Captain McPherson and McGregor?"

"I'll tak' care o' them mysel', sir."

"Ye need na' fash yer heed aboot us, laird," said the skipper. "Bein'

more used to the sea than the mountains, we will be content to look on.

Iss that not so, Shames?"

"That iss so--what-e-ver," returned the seaman.

"Well, come along then; the beaters must be at work now. How many did you get, Ivor?"

"I'm not exactly sure, sir," returned the keeper; "there's Ian Anderson an' Tonal' from Cove, an' Mister Archie an' Eddie, an' Roderick--that's five. Oo, ay, I forgot, there's that queer English loon, Robin Tips-- he's no' o' much use, but he can mak' a noise--besides three o' Mr Grant's men."

"That's plenty--now then--"

"Please, father," said Junkie, who had listened with open eyes and mouth, as well as ears, for this was his first deer-stalk, "may I stop with Mr Barret?"

"Certainly, my boy, if Mr Barret does not object."

Of course Mr Barret did not object, though he was rather surprised at this mark of preference.

"I say, me boy," whispered Pat Quin, "ask av I may stop wid ye."

Junkie looked at the Irishman doubtfully for a moment, then said--

"Father, Quin says he wants to stop with me."

"You mayn't do that, Quin," returned the laird with a smile; "but you may go and stay with your master. I heard him say that he would like you to be with him to keep you out of mischief."

"Thankee, sor. I was used to attend on 'im in the jungles to carry his spare guns, for it's ellyphints, no less, that we was used to bag out there; but I make no question he can amuse himsilf wid deer an' things like that where there's nothin' better. He was always aisy to plaze, like Mr MacRummle."

"Just so, Quin; and as MacRummle knows the hill, and has to pa.s.s the place where Mr Jackman has been left, you had better follow him."

This arranged, the different parties took up their positions to await the result of the beating of a strip of dwarf forest, several miles in extent, which clothed part of the mountain slopes below the Eagle Cliff.

On reaching the spot where Jackman was stationed, old MacRummle explained to him the various arrangements that had just been made for the comfort of all.

"I am sorry they gave me the best place," said Jackman. "I suppose it is because the laird thinks my experience in India ent.i.tles me to it; but I would much rather that Mabberly or Barret had got the chance, for I'm used to this sort of thing, and, after bagging elephants, I can afford to lay on my oars and see my friends go in and win."

"An' sure, aren't thim the very words I said, sor?" put in Quin.

"Have they given you a good place?" asked Jackman of MacRummle, taking no notice of his man's remarks.

"They've given me the worst," said the old man, simply; "and I cannot blame them, for, as the keeper truly remarked, I can do nothing with the gun,"--still less with the rifle, he might have added! "At the same time, I confess it would have added somewhat to the zest of the day if Ivor had allowed me some degree of hope. He thought I didn't overhear him, but I did; for they give me credit for greater deafness than I deserve."