TAKING TO THE WATER. 213 



The fifth shot had not been so well aimed as the others. 

 It was I who had to confess myself guilty of the mistake, 

 for emotion had paralyzed me, and I had hit the animal, 

 a fine full-grown deer, in the left thigh instead of in the 

 neck. So the beast had put forth all the speed left in his 

 three uninjured legs, and Master Pat's hounds darted in 

 hot pursuit, barking their loudest, and behaving like the 

 noble animals they really were. 



We left them at first to their own devices, while we 

 examined our four victims : two males, a female, and a 

 fawn. Then, while Pat undertook to cut open the deer 

 and hang them to the trees out of the reach of carnivorous 

 quadrupeds, Mr. Eustace and myself started in the track 

 of the dogs, who still continued their noisy concert, and 

 made every echo ring with the clarion-like peals. Guided 

 by the sounds, we retraced the path by which we had first 

 reached the stags' covert, and after about half-an-hour's 

 journey discovered that the wounded animal had made 

 for the lake. 



Harassed by Pat's hounds, he still sped onward, losing 

 blood rapidly, but bent with all the energy of despair on - 

 preserving his life. 



All at once there burst upon our eyes the dazzling 

 splendour of the water of a lagoon leading into Big Wolf 

 Lake. It was there the stag must be captured ; we were 

 about to enjoy the spectacle of his taking to the water. 



On winding round a path which we had followed as " a 

 short cut," we perceived that he was already in the water 

 up to his neck, and at bay against the dogs. Still he was 

 evidently dying, for he feebly repelled the attacks of his 

 adversaries, and just as we reached the shore he fell back, 

 choked by his own blood. 



