ROEBUCK SHOOTING ON THE BANKS OF THE RHINE. 255 



towing path. A bathe was very tempting, and the cool water 

 sorely enticing. But the stream ran faster than a lame man 

 could walk. How then could he hope to swim, except whither 

 it might choose to carry ? So we drank and turned away a 

 covey of pheasants, with heads erect above the grass, running 

 back into the low jungle as we passed on. Though late in the- 

 afternoon, the summer sun was blazing terrifically ; and the 

 green woods with all their mosquitoes were preferable to the 

 glare and heat outside. By this time my old shikari and I had 

 both fairly recovered ourselves and if we still thirsted for 

 blood, it was not for that of each other. Working back towards- 

 the village wherein our trap had harboured, we sounded every 

 glen, and set the call going about every quarter of a mile. 



At length we took up position at the junction of two narrow 

 grass-carpeted glades ; and from the shelter of a straggling 

 bush kept watch as before. Bid a went the lamblike whistle : 

 gurgle went the old hunter's cheeks ; while round our twitching 

 faces the mosquitoes played waltz and hymn (they seem to 

 hum any tune your fancy of the moment may suggest). The 

 afternoon was closing in ; no response had come to the forester's, 

 monotonous plaint; and the chances all pointed to returning 

 home empty save of recrimination and of an opportunity thrown 

 away. Still, patience had by this time become almost a habit,, 

 and expectancy our natural state : so we were no whit surprised 

 or startled when a roebuck burst into view and came fairly 

 dancing down the glade. Bright, perky and happy the little 

 fellow looked as dapper and self-confident as the Favourite 

 (the dandy in doublet and hose of the well-known picture). It 

 was a sin to pull trigger against such beauty and life. But as 

 well ask the butcher to stay his knife from the lamb, or the 

 gentle fisherman to withhold his instrument of torture from the 

 speckled trout. The deed had to be done for we had come^ 

 forth to do it. As the showy little gallant cantered to within 

 thirty yards, he met the shot full face ; and, blundering on 

 rolled over to the second barrel. The work of cleaning and 

 packing was achieved in neatest form by an under-forester to- 



