NEW ZEALAND DEER-STALKING 117 



Every moment I expected an old hind, who was 

 evidently far from easy, to spring to her feet, and 

 with mincing gait and cocked ears give the show away 

 to her lord and master. Perseverance won the day, 

 and not until the two crawling figures were within shot 

 did the assembled ladies spring to their feet, and with 

 startled looks indicate the direction from which danger 

 threatened. I had my glass on the stag, and saw him 

 make a movement to spring to his feet. At the same 

 instant a little puff of hair shot from his neck, his 

 head fell forward, while his legs waved spasmodically 

 for a few seconds in the air. The hinds dashed up the 

 hill. As they passed him he made one desperate effort 

 to rise, then fell back with a groan which we could 

 plainly hear from our hiding-place, and so died. 

 When the pack train caught up with us his head re- 

 posed on the quarters of a pony instead of his own 

 neck, and turned out to be a nice little royal. 



A few miles farther on I met Mr. Armytage, an 

 Australian sportsman, who had been fortunate enough 

 to secure a very nice fourteen-pointer and a couple of 

 royals, one of them a really beautiful head. He after- 

 wards, I heard, obtained a thirteen-pointer, which, 

 together with his other heads, constituted the best 

 bag of the season. 



April 17 'th. Anticipated an event which I hoped 

 was some years distant and had "words with the 

 cook." I asked for some hot water for my weekly 

 shave. He turned his head away and mumbled indis- 

 tinctly into an immature and grimy growth which in 



