PURSUIT CONTINUED. 217 



top of the bank, and, taking a steady aim at the neck 

 of my game, pulled the trigger ; but (Di immortales /) 

 the rain had damped the powder, and the gun missed 

 fire. The noise of the cap, however, was enough to 

 send the whole herd helter skelter up the brae ; and 

 Alister's shot, necessarily a hasty one, failed to take 

 effect, whistling over the head of the deer, and so 

 alarming them that they divided and went off in two 

 parties, each division followed by a wounded stag. 

 While Alister reloaded, I shook down some fresh 

 powder into the nipple of my rifle, replaced the cap by 

 a new one, and again we started, Hector and myself to 

 the left in pursuit of my stag, and Alister to the right 

 after his. 



The day was now fast wearing away, and there was 

 no time to be lost. Hector therefore advised that I 

 should follow the stag while I could keep him in view, 

 he meanwhile running off by a short cut to a pass for 

 which the animal was sure eventually to make, there, 

 if possible, to turn him back, so as to give me another 

 opportunity. Away, therefore, we went as fast as legs 

 could carry us, each in his own direction ; and I was 

 soon left to myself, Alister and Hector being both out 

 of sight. Before me, however, at the distance of more 

 than a quarter of a mile, was the stag, still keeping out 

 of reach, but evidently labouring, the short rest having 

 only served to stiffen his limbs. 



I could not but feel for the noble creature as he held 

 on his way with difficulty, but with too much courage 

 to yield. Still this only made me the more anxious to 

 put an end to his sufferings ; and, having passed the 

 crest of a moderate ascent, I increased my pace down 

 the slope which followed, but still found the distance 

 between us, in spite of my exertions, gradually increas- 

 ing. Presently I was compelled to slacken my pace, 



