THE DEER DISCOVERED. 213 



Now brace up your sinews, give play to your lungs, 

 Keep open your eyes, and keep silent your tongues ; 

 And follow with cautious and stealthy tread 

 The forester's footsteps wherever they lead. 



Here pause we a moment, while yonder slope 

 He surveys with the balanced telescope: 

 By heavens ! he sees them just under the hill 

 The pride of the forest lie browsing and still. 



" Yon moss must be pass'd ere we gain our shot,- 

 The hillock above is the fatal spot." 

 So near has he reckon'd that, as we crawl by, 

 Lo ! the points of their horns on the line of the sky. 



We have traversal the flat, and we lurk behind 

 A rock, to recover our nerve and our wind : 

 Hist ! the calves are belling ; and, snuffing the air, 

 Two jealous old hinds to the front repair. 



See, the herd is alarm'd, and o'er the height 

 The leading hinds have advanced into sight : 

 " Hold ! hold your hand till the antlers appear, 

 For the heaviest harts are still in the rear." 



Crack, crack ! go the rifles, for either shot 

 A noble hart, bleeding, sinks on the spot ; 

 The third ball has miss'd, but the hindmost stag 

 Was struck by the fourth as he topp'd the crag. 



p 3 



