316 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



that the smoke, noise, and hissing- of bullets about them referred 

 in any way to themselves. I fired five times one day at a year- 

 ling 1 without hitting 1 it, owing 1 to defective cartridges, or some 

 other cause, and although the balls tore up the ground beside it, 

 or whistled about its head, it made no effort to leave until I, dis- 

 pleased with my shooting, attempted to approach it, and then it 

 vanished out of sight in a second, taking a large herd with it. 



One of the surest means of stalking the animal success- 

 fully is to arouse its curiosity by waving gently, or allowing- 

 the \vind to blow, a handkerchief or a piece of bright-coloured 

 cloth. On seeing this it approaches cautiously, halts fre- 

 quently, and stares in the most inquisitive manner, and having 

 finally decided that the object is something worth knowing 1 , 

 advances boldly and by circling movements, until it comes 

 within rifle range, when the hunter drops it. The male, in 

 contradistinction to the usual rule, is far more vigilant and in- 

 quisitive than the female, and the first to be attracted by the 

 deceptive lure ; and if a herd is together the largest stags take 

 the lead in approaching, and they are followed by the females 

 and the young, which are ranged at respectful distances 

 behind them. It is amusing to see with what ludicrous 

 gravity all go through the same movements almost at the 

 same time, and the mingled expression of astonishment and 

 caution they display. This propensity of the lords of the 

 herd proves of use to the hunter, for he can pick out the best 

 of them, and by one or two shots get more meat than he could 

 by three times as many if he had to take the animals indis- 

 criminately. 



The sportsman cannot get many shots at them, however, 

 unless he is well concealed, and in such a position that they 

 cannot get his wind, for their curiosity would vanish in a 

 moment did they sniff his dangerous character. 



The most interesting mode of capturing them is to chase 

 them with trained greyhounds or deerhounds; and some 

 exciting fun can be enjoyed by lassoing fawns, for if a person 

 is mounted on a good horse he can run down the latter in a 

 mile or two, and have a bucking youngster at the end of his 

 lariat. I have killed both old and young from cover; I have 



