SPORT IN THE TEKKES : WAPITI 75 



In the evening Phelps heard several stags, and 

 followed one a long way, but without result. My 

 man conducted me to what he said was an excellent 

 valley ; but when we arrived there, we found that the 

 forest had all been burnt at least one year before, so 

 for all practical purposes I might as well have stayed 

 in camp ; all we saw was a fox, at the sight of which 

 His Grace became greatly excited, and wanted me to 

 shoot it, saying that it was a good omen. I was 

 willing to propitiate the Fates, but the fox had other 

 views, and gave me no chance. 



Next day I tried another valley, which promised 

 better, as I not only heard several stags call too 

 intermittently, however, to follow but also saw one 

 stag out in the open with three hinds, and in a most 

 favourable place for a stalk ; but he was only a 

 small nine-pointer, so I left him alone, in spite of 

 my shikari's loudly-expressed desire for blood. He 

 said he would surely have shot the stag, and one or 

 two of the hinds as well, if he had been on his own 

 hook. 



In the evening I heard them again, and for a long 

 way followed one stag, which, from his deep-toned 

 voice, we judged to be big ; but finally he ceased to 

 call, and so I was done again. 



On September 24th I only heard a stag call a 

 long way off, so they were apparently all gone. 

 The wind had been perfectly right the day before, 

 and I was sure I had not disturbed them, so could 



