FRESH GAME AFOOT. 205 



uncertain whether the game was aware of our vicinity 

 or not. If however they were, as he feared, " away/ 

 they were almost certain to alarm the other deer, and 

 our best plan therefore was at once cautiously to move 

 on, and discover the route they were taking; or, if they 

 were still near, and had not heads to be taken in pre- 

 ference to those already the object of our pursuit, at 

 once to recede a few paces, and by making our circuit 

 still longer, workaround to our former game leaving 

 these still undisturbed. Again, therefore, we faced the 

 hill, and a few more cautious steps brought us 

 into the pass. No deer were visible. It was clear 

 therefore, that we had disturbed them ; but in which 

 direction had they gone ? 



While pausing to satisfy ourselves on this point, 

 Hector's quick sight again served us in good stead, 

 as he discovered three stags of moderate size quietly 

 walking away along the course of a burn, at a distance 

 of between three and four hundred yards. Fortune 

 therefore favoured us. Though disturbed and in full 

 view, they were making their retreat very leisurely, 

 and not in a direction calculated to interfere with our 

 operations. 



And now to resume our stalk : there was a slight 

 descent of half a mile to run over, before reaching 

 the point for which we were making. A few minutes 

 brought us into a long hollow ; a hill lying on either 

 hand, and at the further end of the crags which over- 

 hung the position of our game. As we traversed this 

 hollow the hinds, which had separated from the stags, 

 were clearly visible at the distance of about a mile, 

 still feeding away from us. 



The wind however was now blowing in our teeth, 

 and the sun shining from directly behind us ; so that 



