158 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



After continuing this survey for some minutes in silence, 

 he beckoned Tresham to his side. ' Antlers, by Jove ! ' 

 said he, in a half whisper ; ' I have them, and in no bad 

 place either. This will be our game, or I'm mistaken. 

 See — take the glass ; look to the left of that white stump 

 below the rock there, close to a small single white stone ; 

 there he lies ; I can see him with the naked eye.' ' And 

 I can't catch a glimpse even with the glass,' replied 

 Tresham, after peering through the telescope ; ' I see no- 

 thing, Charles.' ' Why, don't you see that brown spot ? 

 You can't have found the place. By heavens ! there's 

 more of them ; give me the glass. Yes, faith, there are 

 one, two, three hinds feeding, and their calves too ; see, 

 look again.' But it was in vain Tresham's unpractised 

 eyes wandered over the brown waste, until, as by chance, 

 the field of the telescojoe traversed the place, a slight 

 movement of what he had taken to be the withered 

 branch of a tree caught his eye." After a little con- 

 sultation as to the best mode of getting at the deer, the 

 author proceeds: — "One or two roes passed the sports- 

 men, and several blackcock, the sight of which tempted 

 Tresham sorely to exercise his skill at a flying shot ; but 

 if there were any deer in the wood, they took other passes 

 than those watched by the two gentlemen. The forester 

 now came up, and Grlenvallich informed him of the stag 

 and hinds he had seen. The methods of best approach- 

 ing them unobserved were eagerly discussed ; and having 

 decided that it was at all events advisable to reconnoitre 

 them from a shoulder of the hill above them, the party 

 set their faces boldly to the brae, and began to breast it 

 straight up. And now once more was Tresham made 

 sensible of his own deficiency, and of the superior vigour 

 of his companions. Pride and * pluck,' however, bore 



