AFTER THE GOOD STAG. 25 



As the young Jager stood on that block, leaning on 

 his staff, T could not but think how picturesque a group 

 he and his dog made. The mountain stick was thrust 

 forwards, forming one leg of a triangle, and his body the 

 other 3 and on the top of it both hands were crossed, on 

 which his chin rested. The grey joppe hung loosely 

 about him, his bare knees showed beneath the short lea- 

 thern breeches, the rifle was slung at his back, and his 

 dog sat at his feet watching as steadily as he. As he 

 leaned forward, supported by the firmly-planted pole, he 

 was quite hanging over the depth below. The whole 

 figure was motionless ; the eyes only turned from side 

 to side, exploring every bush and prying into each sha- 

 dowy nook, or running over those green patches among 

 the trees where it was likely a roe might come to graze. 

 I remember to have seen, when a child, a print in the 

 Bible, of Jacob thus leaning on his staff; and I quite 

 well remember too how much the figure pleased me, and 

 how in the attitude there was for me a charm which I 

 could not then account for.* And in some strange wise 

 or other this picture was always associated in my mind 

 with a sentence in ' Murray's Exercises :' "And Jacob 

 worshiped his Creator leaning on the top of his staff." 

 The Bible picture and the well-known words recurred at 

 once to my mind ; and here I saw before me what my 

 childish imagination had often dwelt on with indefinable, 

 inexplicable delight. Since those days of childhood the 

 boy had himself leant upon his staff just as Jacob had 



* Nor am I much better able to do so now. In a figure thus leaning 

 there is an air of perfect repose, united however with power and strength ; 

 for you see the whole man before you standing at nearly full height ; and 

 though the attitude impresses one with rest, it indicates at the same time 

 a readiness for action, which takes from it all appearance of slothful ease 

 or of fatigue. 



