THE DEATH. 43 



some time to get over it in the crouching position we 

 were obliged to assume. Before we had passed more 

 than half the space Walter and I were side by side, 

 stealing along as best we might on all fours, when 

 some object flashed suddenly across the corner of my 

 eye; and, turning my head, I beheld the "monarch of 

 the glen " within sixty yards of me. At the same 

 instant he either winded us or caught sight of us, I 

 know not which ; but, with a snort and a kind of plunge, 

 he struck his hoofs into the soil, drew himself up, and 

 gazed proudly around, as though to make out his 

 enemy. At this instant, whispering to Walter not to 

 move an injunction which he fortunately seemed at 

 once to comprehend I raised my rifle, rested my 

 elbow on Walter's shoulder, aimed just behind the 

 shoulder-blade direct for the heart, and fired. Turning 

 round, the deer plunged, or rather staggered, for a few 

 paces down the brae, and then, apparently recovering, 

 went away at a rnad pace through the whole herd, 

 which at first stood puzzled at the sudden flight of 

 their leader (for the discharge of a gun is quite lost 

 among the rocks if there be a pretty strong breeze), 

 and then gradually collected and followed him, until 

 all were lost in the "shades below." Walter ran 

 forward to get a shot, but did not succeed, every head 

 of deer being far down and out of reach before we 

 could gain the bar. And now how much we repented 

 having left our first position ! By impatiently coming 

 forward and exposing ourselves we had got one shot, 

 it is true ; but we had lost all the others, which might, 

 and in all probability would, have offered themselves ; 

 and, what was still worse, we had driven away the 

 whole herd as they were returning to the corrie, and 

 so destroyed all prospect of sport on the morrow. How- 

 ever, we were quite certain that the stag was severely 



