TRACKING THE WOUNDED STAG. O06 



on. I should have been glad if he had been nearer, 

 but still 1 was thankful that his movements were not 

 more speedy. T sat down, and putting up the sight for 

 a longer range, took deliberate aim. As he crossed 

 from the wood I fired. He stopped, looked towards me 

 astonished, and I saw by his manner that he was hit. 

 As he slowly moved on I fired the second barrel. He 

 stopped again, lowered his head, and then raising it 

 seemingly with an effort, gazed again and limped into 

 the wood. " The second bullet must have hit the left 

 shoulder ; *t was a good shot [" said I, congratulatingly to 

 myself. A deer, bewildered by the noise, now dashed 

 close up to me, then, scared by my presence, flew back, 

 and finally crossed whither the stag had gone. 



Hans now appeared, and I hastened to rejoin him. 

 He too had seen the stag, and had watched him after 

 the second shot was fired. 



" We shall have him soon, there's no doubt of that : 

 he 's ill enough already, but 'twill be better to leave him 

 to himself for awhile, and he'll get worse." 



"Yes," I replied, "that was my intention, for we 

 have no dog with us, and must be careful," and I ad- 

 vanced a few paces on the stag's track. I had seen that 

 he limped, that he could hardly walk after the second 

 shot, so that I knew he was hit : moreover his whole 

 bearing, and the peculiar movement of his head, left no 

 possible doubt on the matter. It was not therefore as 

 an additional assurance that I looked on the ground 

 for blood, but from mere habit. Strangely enough not 

 a drop was to be found. 



"No matter," said Hans, who had been searching 

 also, "he's hit, that's certain. "Far off he can't be: 

 let us sit down for awhile and then go and look for him." 



I now learned from Hans that he too had observed 



2 A 



