ON PLAIN AND PEAK 



is drawing near the dark fringe of pine forest on our 

 right ; the shadows are growing longer ; the light 

 is beginning to fade ; and our buck ought to be 

 appearing upon the scene. 



See! What's that? 



There is something moving in the wood a roe, 

 too, and coming our way ; but there in the gloom 

 it is impossible to see clearly, even with the glasses. 

 It looks like a buck, however. 



At this moment, reader, if you are a new hand 

 at this kind of sport, you are, probably, all of a 

 tremble breathing in thick gasps and your heart 

 is beating so loud that you wonder the creature 

 does not hear it and run away ! In fact, you are 

 suffering from a bad attack of " buck fever" ! 



But pull yourself together, and cock your rifle. 



Yes, it is a buck ! Look at his horns they are 

 half as high again as his ears, and, with the glasses, 

 one can see the points. He is a capital fellow. 



He is over a hundred yards off, so don't shoot 

 till he gets a bit nearer a roebuck is not a large 

 animal at any time, and certainly a very small one 

 at this distance ! 



He is gradually feeding our way sauntering 

 quietly along, and biting off the juiciest oak-sprigs 

 as he comes ; so we can afford to wait. 



Now is your time ! He has turned to reach that 

 branch above his head, and his broad-side is towards 



56 



