122 STALKS ABROAD 



ever, there was no mistaking this stag for a big one, 

 even allowing for the deceptiveness of the light. We 

 watched him for a bit, and two of the hinds which 

 had got up on their hind-legs, as deer often do, and 

 were sparring with their fore-feet. It was too late 

 to think of going after them then, it would have been 

 dark before we had got half-way across the gully, 

 so we returned to camp full of hope for the morrow. 



April 20th. Buckley and I started down the 

 valley about eight o'clock in search of our big stag. 

 We got within sight of the spot where we had last 

 seen him about 9.15, and sat down in the hope of 

 seeing him come out of the bush or of hearing him 

 roar. In this expectation we were disappointed, as 

 up till noon we had neither seen nor heard anything 

 of a deer. We had been visited by a regular mena- 

 gerie of other animals and birds, but the one particular 

 beast we wanted remained in rigid seclusion. First 

 a pair of Paradise ducks came and flirted in front 

 of us ; then a couple of swamp turkeys made their 

 appearance amid the flax and rushes, their handsome 

 indigo plumage and red bills contrasting strongly 

 with the green foliage among which they paraded. 

 A seagull was busy stuffing himself within a few 

 yards of them ; three or four hawks quartered the 

 flats about the river bed ; a couple of black rabbits 

 hopped about within a few dozen yards of us, but 

 vanished into their holes in company with their less 

 conspicuous relations at the advent of a lank black 

 and white cat, who came sneaking along, seeking 



