FRESH DEER FOUND. 137 



of the wounded deer, to die of its wounds, as it probably 

 would before morning, we gladly agreed to follow 

 Gillespie's suggestion, and again try our fortune. It 

 was now so dusk, that none but the most experienced 

 eye could detect the game, which could not be much 

 less than half a mile distant. No time was therefore 

 to be lost ; and putting ourselves completely into the 

 hands of the fox-hunter, we commenced what we knew 

 must be the final stalk of the day. 



Gillespie seemed very confident of success, provided 

 only we would implicitly obey his directions, a stipu- 

 lation to which we were only too willing to accede. 

 Promising therefore to imitate his movements, and not 

 expose ourselves to view, more than was absolutely 

 necessary, we started. 



For some time we hurried along one behind another 

 in a line ; now running, now creeping on all fours, and 

 occasionally pausing to recover breath, while our guide 

 took an observation from the shelter of a rock or bank. 

 Not a word was spoken ; and we therefore moved for- 

 ward, perfectly uncertain what a moment might bring 

 forth. In this way we had blindly followed our guide 

 for some time, when at length we made a long pause, 

 while he looked cautiously over the cliff in front. 

 From the business-like air with which he performed 

 the operation, I suspected that we must be getting near 

 the game, but was scarcely prepared for his inter- 

 rupting me, as I was just about to speak, with the 

 words, " An ye speak they'll be hearing ye." I very 

 quickly however sprang to my feet, and then he 

 whispered to me that the deer were within shot. It 

 was now arranged that I should creep forward to have 

 the first chance, Walter being close behind, to put in 

 his fire immediately after. Creeping therefore gently 



