THE BIG ANTLER STAC. 25" 



spot as the slope of the hill hid the stag's body, but when I 

 did I beheld a pair of antlers the sight of which gave me quite 

 a thrill and made my heart beat quicker ; we both agreed 

 that we had never seen such a splendid head. There was no 

 time to lose, a hasty glance over the ground showed that we 

 could get to the top of the open spur of the hill below us 

 without being seen, the stag would then be not more than 

 ninety yards from us. After an exciting scramble down the 

 rocky crags immediately below us, Francis at one time almost 

 giving up in despair, we got under cover of the spur, when 

 two hinds on a distant hill began belling loudly (probably at a 

 tiger), and fearing they would disturb the stag I hastened up 

 the slope, just in time to behold a hind disappearing into the 

 wood from near where I had last seen the stag ; a sickening 

 feeling of "too late!" came over me, but only for a moment, 

 for at the next glance I saw the grand old fellow still lying 

 in his couch, unconscious of danger. Aiming at the junction 

 of his neck and shoulders, I turned him over down the slope, 

 but after a few struggles, he rose and dashed away ; the ball 

 from the other barrel struck him a slanting shot in the 

 shoulder ; still on he dashed towards the great forest, when a 

 ball from my other rifle caught him behind the ear, sending 

 him a clean somersault, and causing us no little anxiety about 

 the fate of his splendid antlers. It was only on going up to 

 him that we fully realised their beauty and size, and I felt that 

 every hair of my beard was tingling with delight. Francis 

 says he never saw such a big headed stag, and I believe it 

 was really the largest that has ever been killed on these hills ; 

 I thought he would never leave off saying " Kaisa-burra-burra 

 sing," "what great antlers." He was in first rate condition, 

 and as near as I could make him, he stood fourteen hands at 



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