' THE WAYS OF SPORTSMEN 281 



grass, says the sportsman, without first putting 

 his nose to it, and then instantly raising his 

 head and looking about. 



In about ten minutes the deer had approached 

 within fifty yards of the gunner ; then the mur- 

 derous instinct of the latter began to assert it- 

 self. His gun was loaded with fine shot, but 

 he dared not make a move to change his shells 

 lest the deer see him. He had one shell loaded 

 with Ko. 4 shot in his pocket. Oh! if he 

 could only get that shell into his gun. 



The unsuspecting deer kept approaching; 

 presently he passed behind a big tree, and his 

 head was for a moment hidden. The hunter 

 sprang to his work; he got one of the :No « 

 shells out of his gun and got his hand into his 

 pocket and a hold of the No. 4. Then the 

 shining eyes of the deer were in view again. 

 The hunter stood in this attitude five minutes 

 How we wish he had been compelled to stand 



for five hundred ! 



Then another tree shut off the buck's gaze for 

 a moment; in went the No. 4 shell into the 

 barrel and the gun was closed quickly, but 

 there was no time to bring it to the shoulder. 

 The animal was now only thirty yards away. 

 His hair was smooth and glossy, and every 

 movement was full of grace and beauty. Time 

 after time he seemed to look straight at the 

 hunter, and once or twice a look of suspicion 

 seemed to cross his face. 



The man began to realize how painful it was 

 to stand perfectly stil] on tlie top of a log for 



