THE PHANTOM ROEBUCK 



on the fourth a little glade of rough coarse grass, 

 covered with scattered bushes, opened out ; and on 

 this stood an old crumbling hochstand. It still just 

 held together, and mounting the rickety ladder, I 

 took my seat therein. 



The sky was now covered with angry-looking 

 copper-coloured clouds, and that curious brassy 

 light that denotes the coming storm lay upon every- 

 thing. An intense stillness filled the air not a 

 sound disturbed the weird calm all Nature seemed 

 to be breathlessly awaiting the bursting of the 

 tempest. The heat was stifling, and the perspiration 

 poured down my face, with the mere exertion of 

 sitting still. 



At this moment I saw a sight that instantly 

 rivetted my whole attention. A roebuck stood 

 facing me some sixty yards away such a roebuck 

 as I had never before seen ! H is enormous horns 

 rose high above his ears, like those of the so-called 

 Ur-bock of former days those huge heads that one 

 sees in old German collections. In size he was far 

 bigger than the ordinary buck, but the most extra- 

 ordinary thing about him was his colour. He was 

 of a light fulvous yellow, but a few shades removed 

 from white ! 



So astonished was I at his appearance, that, for 

 some moments, I sat breathlessly staring at him. 

 Then as he turned and walked quietly across the 



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