THE THIRD DAY'S SEARCH. 73 



uttering an occasional snort or a moan of pain, and 

 Rob watching for an opportunity to close with his 

 antagonist. Night overtook the two parties still in 

 this position. But, though the glassy eye of the deer 

 and his look of anguish and exhaustion moved the 

 poacher's commiseration, and increased his wish to 

 terminate the scene, yet his recollection of yesterday's 

 defeat, and the testimony his own bones bore to the 

 rough treatment he had then received, prevented him 

 from exposing himself to a repetition of the penalty 

 paid for approaching too near the wounded animal. At 

 length therefore, as darkness closed in upon him, he 

 was compelled to postpone further operations to the 

 morning, sure of then finding the deer, disabled as he 

 was, near the same spot. 



As the third day dawned Rob set out, his gun care- 

 fully cleaned and loaded with ball. He soon reached 

 the place where he had left the deer on the previous 

 night ; and though he could not perceive the animal 

 itself, he soon detected traces of it. These he care- 

 fully followed, until they led to a burn ; but, here, though 

 he followed the banks for some distance both up and 

 down the stream, not a vestige could he discover. 

 The stag must have continued its course over some 

 hard stones, thus leaving no clue to its movements. 

 Rob was completely puzzled ; the only chance seemed 

 to be in roaming about the ground, and examining 

 carefully in every direction. But, conscious of the 

 unlawfulness of his proceedings, he could not do this 

 in open daylight with the cool attention he wished. 

 His conscience troubled him. Having escaped detec- 

 tion two days, he thought the chances were against 

 equal good fortune on the third. Fancy made him 

 start again and again, at the imaginary voices and 

 appearance of foresters. Each tuft of heather that 



