218 LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 



shots at such close quarters, well knowing how high the 

 Express rifle throws the bullet in the first fifty yards 

 of its flight ; while also at such short ranges there 

 is ever a much greater chance of being detected as the 

 top of one's cap comes into sight. On this occasion, 

 however, all went well, for I remembered to align 

 the rifle sights quite on the outline of the body, but 

 directly under the heart, so thus, on pressing the trigger, 

 he bit the dust and was absolutely dead before we got 

 up to him. A very fat stag he was ; his eight rather 

 thin points quite clean and burnished, with a span 

 of 30 inches, for in this part of the north horns seldom 

 grow either heavy or stout. That evening in the Kyle 

 Strome larder he weighed, without heart or liver, 

 17 stone 2 lbs. 



Continuing to stalk our way onwards, we soon found 

 another good beast, with clean darkish horns, which was 

 about the same heavy weight as the one just killed. 

 Again Elliot took me to quite close quarters, when, as 

 I sighted the rifle, up went the stag's head, making it 

 clear I was detected and that another second would 



