GAME DISCOVERED. 193 



of the many hollows which dimpled the plateau. It was 

 now nearly noon, the deer had gained a considerable start 

 of us, and in all probability would be feeding or taking 

 their mid-day nap in some of the many sheltered 

 localities near us. For some time we rambled on in 

 silence, Gillespie, as usual, taking the lead, and only 

 an occasional pause being made, as we rounded some 

 rock, and came in sight of fresh ground. Many such 

 rocks however were rounded, many hollows inspected, 

 without any satisfactory results, and we were now 

 almost lapsing into carelessness, and our hopes of sport 

 beginning to flag, when suddenly our guide dropped to 

 his knees, and a movement of his hand speedily 

 brought Alister and myself into the same position. 

 Carefully raising our heads and looking in the direc- 

 tion indicated by Gillespie, we perceived the ears of a 

 hind just visible above the outline of a rising ground 

 three hundred yards to our right front. The creature 

 was "wide awake;" and her ears anxiously pricked 

 forward in our direction, betokened that her suspicions 

 were aroused. In this crouching position we were 

 kept for fully the space of twenty minutes, neither 

 hand nor foot moved, lest we should increase her 

 uneasiness. But just as our limbs began to ache to 

 an almost insupportable degree from the awkwardness 

 of our attitude, the hind's head disappeared as she 

 recommenced feeding. Telescopes were now brought 

 out, and receding a few paces to the shelter of a rock, 

 we commenced observations. The hind's back was still 

 occasionally in full view, but her uneasiness seemed to 

 be removed, and though now and then throwing a 

 hasty glance towards us, she continued her browsing. 

 Presently we detected the points of some horns just 

 appearing above the intercepting ground, showing that 



