A HUNTER'S PARADISE 105 



Much of it was very " blind," but towards the river there 

 were many open spaces and little hills where game might be 

 viewed. The sun was already setting when we decided to 

 move on a little farther before returning, as a dip, fringed 

 by large trees, hid the course of the brook, and many of the 

 leads trended northwards along the waterside, always a 

 favourite walk for deer. We had hardly rounded the first 

 hillock when I perceived the white stern of a large stag on 

 another little hill about one hundred yards away. The 

 beast was feeding quietly, so I got out the telescope and 

 examined him. 



"He seems to have a lot of points. Bob," I said, "but 

 horns look thin." At this moment the stag raised his noble 

 head to chew the cud, and I had a good side view of it. 

 That movement decided his fate. An instant later I sat 

 with my back to a tree, and put two bullets into him. At 

 the first he never winced, although a mortal blow, but on 

 receiving the second he rolled over quite dead. As I rose 

 to my feet a movement on another hillock to the right 

 caught my eye, and immediately a second stag, nearly, but 

 not quite so good as the first, stepped into full view. The 

 glass was soon surveying his cranial ornaments, which, though 

 carrying about thirty points, looked thin, whilst the " bays " 

 were poor, so he was allowed to depart. He gave a " whoof " 

 of terror as soon as I rose, and, erecting the hair of his scut, 

 dashed off at full gallop. This was the third time on the 

 same day that I had seen two stags together, which shows 

 the disposition of the male caribou for society during his 

 period of summer seclusion. 



We now walked up to our first warrantable prize, which 

 proved to carry a better head than I had at first thought. 

 The horns were not heavy, but carried thirty-five points. 



