178 ADVENTURES. 



first shot, while the other averts his head or keeps out 

 of sight, that, should the shot prove fatal, he may not 

 be a witness. Should the deer be only wounded, they 

 then change places, and the second takes the task in 

 hand, his friend now in turn holding aloof and avoiding 

 the sight. 



My authority said he " minded" a pair who once 

 went to commit their foray together. They came upon 

 a herd of deer, and one of them shot at a fine stag, 

 which he wounded somewhere in the spine, in such a 

 manner, that though, while stationary, the beast was 

 apparently as well and vigorous as ever, yet as soon as 

 it attempted to move off, it proved to be so disabled 

 that it could scarcely drag its limbs over the ground. 

 Having accomplished thus much, the poacher then lay 

 down in the heather, taking care to be out of sight, 

 while his ally approached the wounded animal with 

 the intention of terminating its life. Finding that it 

 was unable to escape, he would not fire at it, but 

 preferred stepping in and settling the matter with his 

 knife. After walking several times round the poor 

 creature, which, disabled as it was, still strove to keep 

 a formidable front, he at length succeeded in seizing it 

 by one hind leg ; but now he found his match ; for 

 though the beast was unable to escape by flight, it 

 could resist and struggle. And struggle and resist it 

 did; for when his companion ro.se from the heather, 

 some time after, expecting to find it all over, he saw 

 his friend and the deer still straining their very 

 utmost, the one exerting all his energies to shake off 

 his foe, while all the strength and activity of the other 

 were needed to prevent his being thrown violently to 

 the ground, in unpleasant proximity to a pair of for- 

 midable antlers. Again therefore the poacher lay 



