132 A HUNDKED YEAKS 



" That was severe on us, but I knew that deer often 

 let people come wonderfully near them if they seemed 

 bent on other business, walking smartly past and not 

 stopping and peeping about, and with no gun visible. 

 That was my only chance, so, leaving the lad in hiding, 

 * Joe Manton ' and I sauntered into and up the corrie 

 as far as possible from my friend, * whistling as I went 

 for lack of thought,' and never even looking at him, 

 though I saw he kept an eye on me. The hillock faced 

 west, and I saw that, if I could get far enough east, a 

 shoulder of it would come between me and him, so 

 on I swung till the shoulder concealed me. Then I took 

 of! my shoes in a second, and in a few minutes I was 

 panting at the back of the hillock, hoping for breath to 

 take aim. I was on my knees and seeing if my flint and 

 powder were all right when Mr. Stag thought he had 

 better see where I was going up the corrie. He soon 

 saw I was within fifty yards of him, and, turning like 

 lightning, he just flew away; but my bullet flew also, 

 and by good luck hit his flank, breaking all the ribs on 

 one side and his left shoulder, so on my getting over the 

 hillock there he was, poor fellow, sitting on his end like 

 a dog, thinking how he could pay me off. I was rather 

 below him, but quite near, so he rushed on three legs 

 at me and made me clear out. Then I loaded with 

 small shot, which, applied to his neck, ended matters, 

 and, the lad coming up, we had a light fantastic hop, for 

 he was a trump stag, though only of ten points. 



" But we had soon to drop the fantastic and to con- 

 sider how to get him home. I never went stalking 

 with more than one helper, so I had always to stay to 



