THE BLACK STAG IS FOUND. 223 



prefer a good chance of securing fat venison to the more un- 

 certain one of securing a fine head but rank meat, insisted 

 that this was the animal we had heard, although he must 

 have known as well as I did that it was not. " Shoot, or 

 he'll be off," whispered he impatiently, as the animal was 

 drawing nearer and nearer when lo ! a stag, looking as 

 dark as a " peat-hag," and carrying a huge pile of antlers, 

 emerges slowly and hesitatingly from the wood. How my 

 heart thumps against my ribs as the much-coveted black 

 stag for I have now not a doubt about its being the 

 identical animal stands before us within a hundred yards ! 

 There is no time to wait for my sudden excitement to abate, 

 as the small beast has fed up very close to us, and the light 

 evening wind is capricious. With trembling hands I slowly 

 lift the rifle over the brackens, but it wabbles so much, as I 

 try to cover the big fellow's shoulder, that I have to lower 

 it. Again it is raised, and, holding my breath, I press the 

 trigger. Off dashes the small beast down the hill ; but the 

 big one, although hard hit, merely gives a start, trots forward 

 a few steps, and again stops, his grand horns thrown proudly 

 back, as he quickly jerks his uplifted head round from side 

 to side, as if at a loss as to what course he should pursue. 



" Ne lugga ! " (missed him), whispers Eamzan, testily fol- 

 lowed by a rapid succession of his exasperating interjections 

 of disappointment. But he is wrong again. Before the 

 stag has time to make up his mind, another bullet of good 

 solid lead this time smashes his shoulder. Still, strange 

 to say, he scarcely moves. Gradually, however, his startled 

 demeanour becomes more listless, and his proud head begins 

 slowly to droop. But he is too far out to make sure of 

 finishing him with a shot from the smooth-bore, which 

 would most probably only send him back into the thick 

 forest, where, although so badly wounded, we might as 

 likely as not lose him ; so I contrive to reload the rifle, 

 fortunately without his detecting me. Once more it is 

 raised : this time the bullet, passing through him, breaks 



