A HUNTER'S PARADISE 111 



signalled to Bob so that we could discuss his respective 

 merits. After examining the ground carefully I saw first that 

 by making a flanking manoeuvre I could probably come in 

 again on the deer and reach a small island of bush, with a 

 stunted larch in the centre, and should then be within 

 loo yards of the stag. This required care, as we had to 

 cross an open of about 20 yards within view of the deer, 

 but old Roman-nose seemed absorbed in a brown study, so 

 this insult to his sight and intelligence was unnoticed, and 

 we reached the desired haven. 



But what was the old fellow doing? His attitude in- 

 dicated utter misery and woe. His head hung down, and 

 ears flopped forwards like a sick donkey. He never moved 

 from his position of dejection for ten minutes except once, 

 when he lowered his nose into the marsh, and I could see 

 him suck up the peat and muddy water. Now I had it : he 

 was love-sick and taking in this stimulant to cool his passion. 

 I daresay the reader, if he has killed deer in Scotland in 

 October, will have noticed that certain stags when gralloched 

 have nothing in their stomach but a peaty fluid. This is 

 probably their only nutriment when in full rut, as the stag 

 does not feed at this season, and seems to live for a week or 

 two on his own previous condition. So, too, this old caribou 

 stag must have been doing exactly the same, for when I cut 

 him up I found nothing but this fluid in his stomach. It is 

 probably a general habit of the whole genus Cervidce during 

 the season of love and war. 



We looked his head over very carefully. Brows fair, 

 bays very good and strong, tops very moderate. I hesitated, 

 and had decided to spare his life, as I hoped to get better. 



"You'll have to shoot him," said Bob; "he is very good, 

 and a've seen many a season when a' should have been 



