HERBERT PARBURY'S CRUEL LUCK 23 



they had to go right round the West Hill and part 

 of Erchless to get within shot. Finally, after a deal 

 of crawling, they got to about 200 yards from the 

 stag, and as it was getting dark, Herbert fired, 

 and his rifle misfired ! Tragedy No. 1. He 

 managed to get the cartridge out, aimed again, and 

 fired, and, good shot, the stag dropped, but got 

 up immediately and made slowly off, evidently 

 badly wounded. It was now growing rapidly 

 dark, and Herbert and Matheson dashed after 

 their quarry and got to within 60 or 70 yards of 

 him, when Herbert thought to finish him off, as he 

 could still just make him out in the dim twilight. 

 Alas and alack ! his rifle misfired four times, and 

 the stag managed to escape in the darkness; and 

 though they hunted till it was quite dark, and 

 Matheson was out all the next forenoon (though it 

 was the Sabbath), they never found him, though 

 Matheson was certain he could not go far. Cruel 

 luck for them both poor Pilly with only a few 

 days' leave from this horrible war, and Matheson 

 having been away two years at Gallipoli and 

 suffering acute agony from my misses. They 

 deserved a better fate. Pilly did not get home 

 till 9 o'clock, and bore his misfortune nobly. I 

 should have been demented. Needless to say, the 

 rifle was changed before the next stalk it was a 

 hired one. But perhaps it was not to blame; 

 there was a lot of bad ammunition about that year. 

 Monday, the 2nd of October, Herbert and 



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