DEER SHOOTING IN HUNGARY. 277 



ness. It was a noble stag, in a position worthy of the pencil 

 of an artist. He was standing in the midst of an open space, 

 his head and neck extended upwards, and, notwithstanding 

 the distance, we could count the numerous branches of his 

 magnificent horns. Near him was a group of hinds and 

 fawns. There he stood, the true sovereign of the forest. It 

 was an easy and agreeable occupation to admire this beautiful 

 group, but the most difficult part remained to be accom- 

 plished to get within shot of the stag. By a long circuit, 

 under cover of the woods, we might be enabled to approach 

 much nearer to him, but even then we could not arrive 

 within at least three gunshots, and the interval that 

 separated us was a short coppice of a year's growth, where 

 he was grazing with his seraglio, as if they were in a meadow. 

 I lay down at full length on my left side, holding my rifle 

 in the right hand, close to my body, and by the aid of my 

 elbows and heels, glided gently through the wet grass like a 

 snake. Two cuckoos, with their morning song, assisted to 

 drown the slight rustling noise I made in my passage, and 

 by dint of many scratches, and much perseverance, I managed 

 to arrive within shot of the stag, who continued to graze 

 without dreaming of coming danger. 



I half raised myself, the light was favourable, no cover 

 protected the victim, and taking steady aim I placed my ball 

 just behind the shoulder. The poor beast made a tremendous 

 bound upwards, and fell upon its head, uttering a low cry. 

 He was stone dead. Piotr came running up breathless with 

 joy, and proud of my success. We tied the four legs of the 

 stag together, and, passing a long pole between them, carried 

 him with much difficulty, one behind and the other before, 

 to the house, where I was glad to return, tired, hungry, 

 scratched all over, wet to the skin, and with a violent cold; 

 but, at all events, I had killed a stag of ten branches in the 

 Carpathian mountains. 



