CH. XXVI. UNSUCCESSFUL SHOT. 103 



stag I had killed yesterday. All the hinds had 

 now gone out of sight, and I moved on. At that 

 very moment the sentry hind, a long-legged, rag- 

 ged, donkey -like beast, came back to the mound 

 where she had been before, and her sharp eyes 

 instantly detected me. Never did unlucky wight, 

 caught in the very act of doing what he least 

 wished should be known, feel, or I dare say look, 

 so taken aback as I was. I stood motionless for 

 a moment, hoping that even her eyesight might be 

 deceived by my gray dress, but it was too late : 

 giving a snort of alarm, she was instantly out of 

 sight. I ran forwards, trusting to be in time for 

 a running shot at some straggler, and came in view 

 of the whole troop galloping away, a tolerably 

 long shot off, but still within range, and affording a 

 fair broadside mark as they went along in single 

 file to gain the more level ground. I of course 

 pulled up, and took a deliberate aim at one of the 

 fat hinds. She afforded me a fair enough chance, 

 but I saw, the moment I pulled the trigger, that 

 I had missed her. The ball struck and splintered 

 a rock, and must have passed within a very few 

 inches of the top of her shoulder. I saw my error, 

 which was that, miscalculating the distance, I had 

 fired a little too high. However, it was too late 

 to remedy it ; so I stood quietly watching with 



