THE WILD REINDEER OF NORWAY. 31 



At last the larger stag, having driven the others 

 to some distance, began to move slowly off with the 

 hinds, when the herd suddenly closed together in a 

 startled way, and on looking up I saw a magnificent 

 stag standing at gaze on a rock some distance above 

 them. He was by far the finest I had seen, and his 

 form seemed dilated to gigantic proportions as he 

 stood on the crag with his wide-spreading antlers 

 clearly outlined against the sky. He did not remain 

 long in that position, but stretching out his neck, 

 uttered a roar, which was answered by the other 

 stags, and bounded over the rocks at full speed 

 towards the herd. The younger stags scattered in 

 dismay at his approach, but the largest of them 

 advanced to meet this trespasser on his boundary. 

 He had not much chance, as the newly arrived stag 

 charged him immediately, and bore him back com- 

 pletely on his haunches by his vastly superior 

 weight and strength. His opponent struggled and 

 resisted for some time, but with little success, and 

 after a few minutes' struggle the new-comer drove 

 off the other males to some distance. 



I saw that his attention was absorbed by the 

 others, and scrambled down among the rocks, 

 peeping myself as much concealed as possible behind 

 the blocks of stones ; and a lucky movement of the 

 hinds in my direction brought the great stag within 

 200 yards of me. I saw there was no chance of 



