THE FLIGHT OF THE STAG. 263 



example ; I alone stood erect, until a blow on the shin, 

 from the butt-end of my friend's musket forced me also to 

 adopt a recumbent position. 



I was on the point of asking him the meaning of such 

 mysterious conduct, when, raising my head, I saw, at two 

 hundred feet before us, a stag and six females lying on 

 the snow, probably asleep. 



In spite of Mr. Howard's prohibition, I had raised my 

 rifle to my shoulder, and was about to fire, when another 

 blow from the butt-end of his musket reminded me of 

 the warning I had received. Mr. Howard soon arose, 

 and gliding stealthily from tree to tree, and bush to 

 bush, endeavoured to approach as near as possible to the 

 herd, while Monai and myself remained motionless spec- 

 tators of this stirring scene, which every hunter will ap- 

 preciate as it deserves. 



All at once the entire herd arose, with outstretched 

 neck and eager eyes, endeavouring to distinguish the enemy 

 whom their instinct warned them was at hand. Their 

 scent, however, seemed to be at fault, and to bring them 

 only the sweet breath of the cedar forests, when the male 

 of the troop advanced in Mr. Howard's direction, fol- 

 lowed by his mates, and came to within ten paces of the 

 tree behind which Mr. Howard was concealed. At the 

 same instant a red handkerchief, waved by my friend, 

 caught the animal's eye. Instead of halting, the noble 

 stag, raising his head, which was crowned by the noblest 

 antlers I had ever seen, continued to advance ; and he had 

 almost touched the handkerchief with his muzzle, when 

 Jack, springing upon him, caught him by the neck, and 

 inflicted a severe wound. It is useless to say that the 

 stag and his mates scampered away before us with the 



