196 "GONE AWAY." 



stealing upon their prey. But we had more than 

 a mouse to deal with, and before we had progressed 

 five yards the enemy's outlying piquet was on the qui 

 vive, and springing to her feet began to watch us 

 intently. Once more we became motionless as so 

 many logs, and the deer, two or three others having 

 risen and joined her, were evidently at a loss to make 

 out what we were ; for so closely did our clothes 

 resemble the colour of the ground about us, that 

 unless in motion we were scarcely distinguishable. 

 One pair of eyes however had already seen us in 

 motion, and though yet uncertain as to our nature, she 

 had seen quite enough to arouse strong suspicions, and 

 there was now little chance of our being allowed a 

 nearer approach. 



At this moment Gillespie looked round in my 

 direction, intending to advise me to spring up and run 

 in upon them as my only chance ; but, ere his eye met 

 mine, the movement had been detected and the whole 

 herd were off. Forward we at once rushed to the rising 

 ground behind which they had disappeared, but it was 

 nearly two hundred yards distant, and before we had 

 gained it, they were more than a quarter of a mile away. 



A provoking conclusion this to so patient and 

 careful a stalk, but nil desperandum. Telescopes were 

 immediately brought into play, and the herd was care- 

 fully watched until they again paused, and gradually 

 began to feed. They had evidently not been greatly 

 alarmed, and with a change of locality would very 

 possibly lose their suspicions. Accordingly once more 

 we were off in pursuit, and the manoeuvres above 

 described were many of them reacted. 



To avoid repetition, therefore, my readers must take 

 it for granted that patience and diligence were 



