ROE-DEER SHOOTING. 81 



too, was tl my meat." I whistled and the red dog 

 came. I laid him on her line, and directly after I 

 heard the short " yap ! yap ! " a mute dog generally 

 gives when his game is in view. A mad rush through 

 the underwood followed, and then I heard the deer 

 cry again, and running up found the dog had got her 

 down. I soon put her out of her misery. Fortunately 

 the woodcutters had a barrow, and the deer were soon 

 safe at home. 



It might be imagined that the valley would now 

 really be abandoned by the deer, but as I have said 

 before, it remained good for a find at least once a 

 week, and that in a country where roe-deer are not 

 really plentiful. 



Now let me change the scene and take my readers 

 to the shores of the lovely Lake of Constance, where 

 I first was initiated into the mysteries of the Birschgang. 

 One evening does not vary very greatly from another 

 it is hardly necessary for me to say that roe-stalking 

 can only be practised in the early morning and late 

 evening, and I prefer the latter so I will describe 

 an evening which happens to be fresh in my memory. 



I left my temporary home about half-past six, and 

 half an hour's walk brought me to a large wood. My 

 first turn was through beeches, under which the dead 

 leaves crackled sadly, but I made the best of it. 

 However, I saw nothing, except the fresh marks 

 where a buck had been turning over the leaves. Ten 

 minutes later I descend a steep hill ; from the bottom 

 of it rises a corresponding slope, but covered with 

 hay grass. See, a roe takes two or three bounds up 



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