TRACKING THE WOUNDED STAG. 349 



sently looking downward, I saw the large form of the 

 splendid hart crossing slowly some ground uncovered by 

 trees or underwood. I raised quickly my rifle, but just 

 as it was at my shoulder the last of the stag was seen, 

 as he moodily passed into the bordering thicket. Had 

 I but seen him twenty seconds sooner, he would in all 

 probability have fallen to my shot. 



"Of course you could have hit him," said Hans; 

 " why, it was not more than a hundred and twenty 

 yards ! — And we had stalked him so capitally ! Such a 

 chance too ! There he was before you all the while r" 



There was no use in being vexed, or in telling my 

 companion that his "up over there" was the sole cause 

 of the mischance. We slid quietly downwards, and 

 making a detour, endeavoured to get below the stag, 

 who was moving but slowly, and thus try again for an 

 opportunity of getting a shot. We came upon an open 

 space covered with tall rank weeds and loose fragments 

 of rock, and saw several deer which already had got wind 

 of us, or had heard our movements. We stole back 

 again therefore, and, as there was nothing more to be 

 done, turned homewards. The hut where we were stay- 

 ing was so poorly furnished that not even an earthen 

 pipkin — no vessel, in short, except the two iron frying- 

 pans — was to be had. As we passed by another hut I 

 therefore asked the Senner if he had some such thing, 

 which I could borrow to make myself some coffee. He 

 had none either. " But," he added, " the man who has 

 the still/ about a mile from here, has a pipkin, — that 



* In the mountains here, as in Scotland, you will often find in far-off 

 out-of-the-way places a rude dwelling where a spirit is distilled from the 

 roots of the gentian ; and not unfrequently the landlord of such little 

 tenement will be provided with luxuries you would hardly expect to 

 find ; such as a cup and saucer, sugar, coffee, and a store of Tyrolian 



