62 ECHOES OF SPORT 



minute and a half struggling to rise again. 

 The stalker, one of long and varied experi- 

 ence, was quite satisfied it was all right. I 

 believed his word and my own eyes, though, 

 with rifle reloaded, nothing would have been 

 easier than to have given the animal another 

 bullet. 



My rifle is one of Eraser's single -303 Velox, 

 and a handier, surer little weapon it is impos- 

 sible to have, nor would I exchange it for all 

 the most perfect double-barrelled or magazine 

 rifles in the world. 



Then the day's tragedy descended. The 

 stag got to its feet, stood for an instant tail 

 onwards, as all hit stags invariably do, and 

 trotted up the rise of ground, " over the hills 

 and far away." 



The other stags who were with him had dis- 

 appeared directly after the shot. 



At once Donald and his dog, the ghillie and 

 I were in hot pursuit, but not one trace of that 

 stag could be found by sight or track. The 

 corrie to the north was apparently undis- 

 turbed, the face of the hill to the south still 



