IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 3G3 



taught me, for ignorance of the fact lost me a buck 

 here not long since. One runs just above me, the 

 other diagonally below, but both are within easy 

 range. The bitch found not far away, but no doubt 

 some waft of the treacherous south wind has 

 betrayed me, for the sounds descend the hill, and 

 then cease. The deer has utilized the brook to 

 kill the scent. Dinah can be trusted to make her 

 own casts, though, and in a very short time she is 

 merrily tonguing up the opposite slope, and is 

 soon above the covert fringeing the stream. It 

 is open enough up there under the great pines ; I 

 ought to get a view. Carrying my eyes off to the 

 left, I do. A furlong ahead of the hound a roe is 

 racing along a wood path, and as I think, and hope, 

 a buck. At the distance I can see no horns ; it 

 would be too cruel if he had cast them already. 

 He turns downwards, and the covert swallows him. 

 High time, too, for the bitch was gaining ; and she 

 too makes the downward turn without hesitation. 

 When she reaches the brook her voice ceases ; the 

 deer has " beaten the water" again. Perhaps he 

 is coming up ! I strain my eyes in vain ; and this 

 time the check is longer than the first one. At 

 last the music breaks out again, behind me this 

 time, in the side valley. I have barely turned in 

 that direction before I hear a stone rolling, and 

 the sound guides my eyes to the deer. The hill- 

 side is so steep that it moderates even his pace, 



