IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 277 



As I was going along the hillside the dog roused 

 and scattered a large herd, either in some beech 

 bushes or on an adjoining patch of snow. One 

 at least was left behind, and I, who was now 

 lying down, made him out to be a two-year-old 

 buck. After a few minutes, the dog and main 

 herd having disappeared in front, he made up his 

 mind to clear out. Unfortunately for himself, he 

 chose the route which passed by me. A running 

 shot at seventy yards broke his shoulder. Never- 

 theless he made off downhill, accompanied by a 

 kid. This gave me a bad moment, for I thought 

 I had made a mistake about the sex ; but, as a 

 matter of fact, the little beast had got separated 

 from its dam. A hundred yards off he lay down, 

 and I crept in and gave him the coup de grace. I 

 saw the others, followed by the dog no doubt, 

 still going hard near the top of the hill, and 

 it was an hour before the latter rejoined me. 

 My first idea, after gralloching the buck, was to 

 carry him home ; but he was too heavy for this, 

 so I had to set to work to skin and break him 

 up. A long job it proved, and it was eight o'clock 

 before I got my load of head and haunches back 

 to camp. This, however, was principally owing 

 to my attempting a short cut through the forest, 

 which, as a matter of fact, would have been three 

 times as long even if I had not lost my way, which 

 I did. My wife's state of mind may be imagined. 



