22O By Mountain, Lake, and Plain 



and silent walking possible, and according to 

 them causing the stags to roar more. 



I felt very hopeful that morning, for, going to 

 my spying - point, had we not found on some 

 soft ground the fresh slot of a big stag near 

 where we had heard the deep-toned roars the 

 previous evening ; but as Uncle Eemus said, 

 " Tribbalashun seems like she's awaitin' roun' 

 de cornder fer ter ketch one en all un us ! " 



We were sitting above a face of steep rocky 

 ground on the look-out; to our right a long 

 spur ran down to the plain, bare ground on the 

 one side ; on the other the further one a 

 deep wood. As we were looking, a stag came 

 out some four hundred yards below us, and I saw 

 at once he was the beast I had come to shoot : 

 certainly fourteen points, it might be more, and 

 a fine spread. He came slowly up the ridge 

 towards where we were sitting, moving along the 

 edge of the forest. A small staggie had crossed 

 the open ground just below us a few minutes 

 before, and had gone out of sight into a valley to 

 our left, and the big fellow kept stopping and look- 

 ing that way as if to follow, in which case, without 

 moving a yard, I should get an easy shot. On 

 he came. Now he was within two hundred yards. 

 Some twenty yards nearer he turned and stood, 

 presenting a splendid broadside. I was covering 



