A STAETLED HERD OF SAMBER. 269 



yards, by keeping himself concealed behind the ridge 

 on the other slope of which they were feeding. But 

 nearer than this he saw no chance of getting. So, 

 peeping cautiously over the low ridge, with his face 

 and shoulders protected from observation by a bush, 

 he sighted his rifle for the distance, and brought it 

 to bear on a young stag, the only one in the herd. 



The " thud " announced a hit, but, unfortunately, 

 not a deadly one, for the beast only kicked up his 

 heels and sprang forward. The startled hinds at 

 first ran hither and thither, uncertain of the position 

 of the enemy, and undecided, in their confusion, as 

 to the line of escape. But this hesitation did not 

 last long ; for, led by a large old hind, who had 

 evidently come to some determination on the sub- 

 ject, they dashed away from the lurking-place of the 

 sportsman, and made straight towards Norman. 



Hawkes watched them with anxious interest 

 through his glass, as they streamed away in single 

 file, and, after clearing the open land on which 

 they had been feeding, entered a strip of jungle. 

 On the other side of this, however, he soon saw them 

 emerge, and continue their flight, though less pre- 

 cipitately, towards the thick jungle, just within the 

 skirts of which he believed his friend to be waiting 

 in ambush. After the impetuosity of their first 

 frightened rush, the herd had fallen into a long lob- 



