ROEBUCK SHOOTING IN BOHEMIA 



him," and she resumes her interrupted evening 

 ramble. 



Yonder is another doe just leaving the shelter of 

 the wood, and her two fawns with her. What 

 funny little things the young ones are, with their 

 mottled skins ; and how carefully the mother watches 

 over them stopping, waiting, even running back, 

 if they stray more than a few yards from her side ! 



Can anything be more pleasant than sitting here 

 this beautiful evening, with this picture from nature's 

 own book before one's eyes ? 



Buzz-z-z ! Alas ! there is always a drawback 

 to everything, however enjoyable, and in this case 

 it is the . . . mosquitoes ! 



Bloodthirsty little brutes ! Nothing can be more 

 pleasant than sitting and watching half a dozen roe 

 feeding on the oak-scrub ; but nothing can be more 

 unpleasant than sitting with half a dozen mosquitoes 

 feeding on one's nose, and some inquisitive doe 

 standing ten yards from one's hackstand, staring at 

 it ! There is nothing to be done but grin and bear 

 it. If one brushes them off, probably the doe goes 

 off too, barking, and then one's chance of a buck 

 is small indeed. Fortunately mosquitoes do not 

 appreciate tobacco smoke, and one can safely smoke 

 on a hackstand ; for if the buck scents one's smoke, 

 he would, in any case, have scented one's self. 



But it is after seven o'clock ; the edge of the sun 



55 D 



