200 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



" saga anus," and the grandmother of the herd, lay 

 most provokingly with her face turned straight towards 

 us, as though determined to keep us as long in our 

 uncomfortable position as possible. We now held a 

 consultation in low whispers, the result of which was 

 that as there seemed to be no good heads in the herd, 

 our best plan would be to endeavour to secure, each of 

 us, a good hind for the larder. 



In their present position, however, a satisfactory 

 shot was not possible, and any attempt at motion on 

 our part would be almost sure to attract their attention 

 and drive them off before we had succeeded in our 

 object. We agreed, therefore, at the suggestion of our 

 great authority, Gillespie, to remain as we were a few 

 moments longer, and then to creep in, inch by inch, 

 in the hope that we might lessen the distance by a few 

 yards, and then run in upon them and take a chance 

 shot as they went off. 



Silently we watched the foremost hind through our 

 glasses, as she chewed her cud, or occasionally closed 

 her eyes in a sleepy fashion ; and at length our guide's 

 hand was cautiously put forward, and following his 

 example we began to crawl in on all fours, moving 

 with the stealthiness and silence of so many cats 

 stealing upon their prey. But we had more than 

 a mouse to deal with, and before we had progressed 

 five yards the enemy's outlying piquet was on the qui 

 vive, and springing to her feet began to watch us 

 intently. Once more we became motionless as so 

 many logs, and the deer, two or three others having 

 risen and joined her, were evidently at a loss to make 

 out what we were ; for so closely did our clothes 

 resemble the colour of the ground about us, that 

 unless in motion we were scarcely distinguishable. 

 One pair of eyes however had already seen us in 



