A WET CRAWL 11 



some deer in the ravine between the West Hill 

 and the North Hill, and after a long crawl we 

 got to within 250 yards of them. They were 

 mostly lying down, and we thought it better to 

 wait till they got up, as then very likely they 

 would feed up the ravine towards us, and it was 

 terribly bare in between. However, we waited 

 the best part of an hour in vain, so, as Davie said 

 afterwards, " at long last we got very saucy," and 

 risked another 100 yards, crawling as flat as 

 flounders and very slowly to within 150 yards; 

 and then, to our great relief, they began to get up 

 and feed towards us. In due course the stag we 

 were after, a very good 7-pointer, came into view 

 (he had been lying down out of sight behind a 

 knoll), and presented a nice broadside shot. I 

 fired, and away he galloped with the herd, and I 

 fired a big, big " D - !" after him; but Davie 

 exclaimed, " Good shot !" and when they came 

 into view again, to my great joy, the stag was not 

 with them, and when we got down into the ravine 

 there was our stag lying stone dead with the bullet 

 through his heart. He had run about 50 yards, 

 as they always seem to do when shot in the heart ; 

 and not having seen him kick when I fired, I 

 thought I had missed him. He was a fine fat 

 beast, and turned the beam at 15 stone, with 

 long, stout horns, and his head faces me as I sit 

 at my study table, and I hope inspires my pre- 

 scriptions with magic powers to heal. Sandy and 



