132 THE STALK. 



approach, we commenced operations by creeping 

 slowly forward on our hands and knees. But our 

 progress, though slow, was sure ; and we found our- 

 selves gaining ground without detection. At length 

 when almost within shot, and with our guns cocked, 

 prepared for immediate action, Gillespie, who was 

 creeping just in advance of me, suddenly paused, and 

 touching me on the shoulder, pointed significantly to 

 the right; there to our utter confusion and disappoint- 

 ment, was a fine stag within eighty yards of us, 

 standing on a projecting rock, and staring at us in 

 astonishment ; but before a gun could be brought to 

 bear upon him, he had disappeared behind the rock 

 and was safe. Of course the three deer which we 

 were stalking, instantly took the alarm, and made off 

 uninjured. We now ran forward to see what we 

 could of the vanished game; and on mounting the 

 rock behind which the stag had disappeared, we saw a 

 large herd, going away at full gallop. They were 

 joined, just after we caught sight of them, by a large 

 stag and some young deer coming up from the lower 

 ground in front. The large stag Gillespie immediately 

 pronounced to be the one which we had previously 

 seen lying alone, and which we were about to stalk 

 when we came in view of those feeding together. 



This was provoking enough. It was evident that 

 the whole herd were now thoroughly alarmed, and no 

 prospect of our coming near them again to-day. 

 However, there was no help for it ; and disappointed 

 and dispirited though we were, we lost no time in 

 making the best we could of a bad case. Having, 

 therefore, watched the fast-receding herd until they 

 became lost in the dim distance, and Gillespie with 

 his telescope had made out the ground for which they 



