226 HUNTING TRIPS 



valley. Out of breath, and over-confident, 

 I fired hastily, overshooting him. The wind 

 blew the smoke back away from the ridge, 

 so that he saw nothing, while the echo pre- 

 vented his placing the sound. He took a 

 couple of jumps nearer, when he stood still 

 and was again overshot. Again he took a 

 few jumps, and the third shot went below 

 him; and the fourth just behind him. This 

 was too much, and away he went. In des- 

 pair I knelt down (I had been firing off- 

 hand), took a steady aim well- for ward on 

 his body, and fired, bringing him down, but 

 with small credit to the shot, for the bul- 

 let had gone into his hip, paralyzing his 

 hind-quarters. The antlers are the finest 

 pair I ever got, and form a magnificent or- 

 nament for the hall; but the shooting is 

 hardly to be recalled with pleasure. Still, 

 though certainly very bad, it was not quite 

 as discreditable as the mere target shot 

 would think. I have seen many a crack 

 marksman at the target do quite as bad 



