62 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 



the centre. Our glasses now easily showed us there 

 were many very fine beasts amongst them, while one 

 especially seemed to tower above all his fellows. In 

 the position they were then in it was impossible for us 

 to approach nearer until they rose and fed out of sight, 

 for there was a large flat between us and them, the 

 slope on which they were resting commanding every 

 inch of it ; therefore we crept to the edge of the flat, 

 getting by this means several hundred yards nearer, 

 and then lying behind a heathery knoll, out came our 

 glasses, and we examined them one by one quite at our 

 leisure. Quickly we made out that the stag we had 

 already noticed as being the largest was undoubtedly a 

 splendid Royal. I at once impressed on Donald that that 

 was the deer I must shoot at. Never yet had I had 

 a chance at such a one, and get him I must, and 

 would fire at no other, intending even to risk a long 

 shot at him in preference to taking an easier chance 

 at a smaller beast. We counted more than forty stags, 

 and judged there were double that number of hinds — 

 truly a splendid sight. 



