38 RED DEER. 



deer were not deceived. On the moors 

 curlew is locally pronounced almost with- 

 out a vowel between the c and the r, and 

 the lew as loo cr-loo, the accent being on 

 the last syllable. After a long detour, 

 out of sight of the deer, I approached the 

 coombe again from the opposite side, and 

 found them presently. They had risen, and 

 were feeding up the coombe, rather above 

 me ; I could see them cropping the green 

 tips of the heather. They were rather of 

 a brown than a red colour, their necks 

 straight, and by the tail almost white. They 

 fed in single file, and the wind coming from 

 them, I crept up still nearer, almost within 

 gunshot, till the leading hind, turning to 

 pick at one side, saw me. 



She viewed me intently a moment, and 

 then jerked her head up, at which signal 

 the other four lifted their heads with the 

 same quick jerk and looked at me. The 



