CH. XXVI. KEEPER AND DOG. 109 



which he could tell pretty well by the occasional 

 spots of blood on the gray stones, though the ground 

 was too hard most of the way to show the mark of 

 the foot. Now and then they seemed quite thrown 

 out for a minute or so ; this I saw was generally 

 occasioned by Donald's want of judgment : the dog, 

 though he strained on the string, kept the track 

 wonderfully well in every turn. The poor object of 

 their chase, when he first saw his enemies appear, 

 gave a sudden start, and seemed inclined to make 

 off; but on second thoughts he stopped short again, 

 and, lowering his head and neck, crouched in the 

 water, as if trusting to the surrounding rocks for 

 concealment ; and there the poor animal remained, 

 with stooping horns, perfectly motionless, but evi- 

 dently with every nerve and sense on the alert, 

 listening for the nearer approach of his enemies. 

 For my own part, I became quite interested in 

 watching Donald and the dog ; I knew that the 

 stag was safely ours, as he could not leave the pool 

 without coming into full view, and having to depend 

 on his speed for safety, which in his enfeebled state 

 was the last thing he would like to do. Donald 

 looked anxiously round him sometimes, as if he 

 hoped to see me, and as if he expected to hear my 

 rifle every moment, since he was well aware that 

 our time of meeting was past, and that I was pretty 



