THE PRODIGAL STAG 61 



like a goat, the lighter inside the better. 

 Stalking is like hunting in this way, there is 

 no knowing what may not be required of one 

 before the day is done. So my experience 

 has taught me to defer eating and above all, 

 drinking, as long as possible, except a mouth- 

 ful at a burn as a great and rare treat. 



On this day there was not long to wait for 

 the first chance. 



Just below the top of the ridge is a cer- 

 tain small rocky balloch, a favourite haunt of 

 stags on that ground. There were several lying 

 there, quiet and unsuspecting, with no hinds 

 doing sentinel for them. We crept in very 

 quickly to within a hundred yards. The best 

 stag was slightly above us. After a very short 

 time up he got, presenting an easy broadside 

 target. 



I was most comfortably settled behind a 

 large boulder ; the light was good, the rest 

 was good ; it seemed impossible to do any- 

 thing else but shoot him bang in the right 

 place, through the heart. 



He fell at once to the shot, and lay for full a 



