Grouse Shooting. 131 



with a tuft of heather on it, in the very middle of the pass, and this 

 we proceeded to make tracks for on our hands and knees, and where the 

 ground was hare, flat on our stomachs wriggling 



Latet angnis in herbis. 



It was not an agreeable mode of progression; but fortunately it was 

 successful, and we gained the shelter unperceived. 



" The wind blows down the pass," said Jock, " but he will be pretty 

 sure to be cautious in passing this shelter. Keep close, and don't show 

 so much as the tip of a whisker;" and, lying flat on his stomach, Jock 

 peered up the pass through the heather twigs. Pive minutes — ten minutes ! 

 It seemed a terribly long time. 



"There he comes at last," whispered Jock, "evidently cautious, but 

 not flurried. Rest the rifle on this stone, and as he comes across into 

 view let him have it in the shoulder. He can't be more than a hundred 

 yards from you, but if he is do your best. Be cool and steady, and take 

 your time." It was all very well to say " be cool." I was in a most . 

 ferocious funk of excitement. Fortunately, I had a rest for the rifle, 

 or my nerves were so shaky, the shot wotddn't have been worth a 

 rush. How dreadfully long it seemed. No one dared to move. The stag 

 loitered and evidently took stock of the rock as if he feared danger. At 

 length his head and horns projected into view from behind the stone, 

 and then liis neck and shoulders. He was looking towards the rock, and, 

 as I judged, on the point of darting away in alarm, when I touched the 

 trigger, and heard the dull thud of the ball as the stag leaped a yard 

 into the air and set ofi' at a tremendous rate. I took a flying shot at him 

 with the second barrel, and, to my delight, over he came with a crash; 

 but the next minute he struggled up again and went away on three legs, 

 one of the hinder ones being broken by good luck by the last shot. Still 

 he went away at a good pace, but the next moment I saw Bran shoot 

 out from the other side of the pass. In less than two minutes he was 

 up with the fast-failing stag and had him by the ear, and down they 

 came in a heap, and Banald, following just in their track, came up upon 

 them and whipped his knife into the stag's throat. My first shot had 



