314 EEMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



than have offered him the bough of a tree, and ex- 

 pected him to take it, and await his death. To lie 

 still and wait a fitting opportunity was all that I 

 could do. A moment convinced us they were not 

 yet out on their feed, and Hall whispered, " All right, 

 sir: they are going to their beds among the rushes." 

 He knew of the lairs they had previously used in 

 some cool rushes beneath some old oak trees ; and a 

 moment after they began to walk about here and 

 there with their heads down, and at last all three 

 couched in the lairs to which Hall had alluded. 

 AVhen they lay down they were perhaps a hundred 

 and fifty yards away from us, and nothing but their 

 antlers to be seen. From the position they took 

 there was nothing to screen us ; but, after consult- 

 ing for a little while, we deemed it possible to reach 

 some low fern and an oak tree twenty yards nearer 

 to the deer. On we sprawled on our breasts or 

 backs, as the position served ; but by the time we 

 reached the oak one of the browse deer rose, and 

 stood gazing around him. We had therefore to wait 

 till he lay down again, and to make up our minds as 

 to the next move. Could we but get about ten yards 

 further we should have more fern and a better line of 

 trees : so, when the browse deer resought his lair, we 

 moved, and gained the next oak. I was now in good 

 distance for a body-shot, but the buck I wanted lay 

 still; so still, that Hall proposed a further advance. 

 We crept again, and at last reached a large oak, 

 within fifty yards of the deer. The stranger lay with 

 his back to me, but his neck and the poll of his head 

 were fair, and I proposed to shoot ; but Hall, who was 

 most anxious to 2:et this buck, beofwd me not to risk 

 a shot only at his constantly moving head, but to 



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