218 By Mountain, Lake, and Plain 



ing was impossible on the dry leaves. Then as 

 we were climbing a steep bit, there was a rush 

 of some heavy animal. A dark mass stood for 

 a moment behind some hazel bushes ; I could 

 just see there were antlers, and throwing up my 

 rifle, fired. The stricken beast went staggering 

 down to the bottom of the ravine, where he 

 collapsed in a pool. He was but a poor six- 

 pointer, and I regretted having shot him. 



Two days later I got another shot. We were 

 walking along the main ridge in the early morn- 

 ing. It was the hour when the sun's heralds 

 have appeared in the east, and earth, as if to 

 meet them, has shaken off her dull robes of night 

 and revealed herself in many - hued garments. 

 Turning a corner, I spotted below us some dark 

 forms. Two hinds were crossing a narrow open- 

 ing in the forest. A beast followed that looked 

 like a big stag. There was no time to lose in 

 examination, and I sat down and fired, knocking 

 him over. I was pleased with the shot, but dis- 

 appointed with the beast, which turned out to 

 be another small one not, in fact, worth the 

 shot at all. 



My next chance came two days later. We 

 had gone to look for a stag that we had heard 

 roaring late in the previous evening. But when 

 we got to our spying - place the woods were 



