64 ERCHLESS AND FARLEY, 1918 



Susan to make for home with Jimmy Johnston, 

 whilst Stone and I crossed to the West Hill for a 

 final effort. We had not left them five minutes, 

 and had only just got across the ravine on to the 

 West Hill, when we saw some beasts about a 

 quarter of a mile to our right almost on the 

 Erchless March. There was a very heavy shower 

 on at the time, and we could not see whether 

 there was a stag with them, so we crept, not too 

 cautiously, towards where they had disappeared 

 over a ridge into a small hollow, and suddenly came 

 on three or four hinds and a very fine stag 50 or 

 60 yards ahead of us. Needless to say, they were 

 off like lightning, but thinking I might cut them 

 off round a small rise in the ground behind which 

 they had disappeared, I seized the rifle from 

 John, and ran about 100 yards as hard as I could 

 to where I thought they would reappear; and 

 there, sure enough, was the stag, standing for a 

 second or two to see what was up; there was no 

 time for anything but to raise my rifle and fire 

 from the shoulder standing. The stag gave a 

 kick and disappeared, and though I thought I had 

 hit him, we were not very sanguine about getting 

 him; however, we hurried up (he was about 100 

 yards away when I fired), and found him lying 

 stone dead about 50 yards from where I had hit 

 him, almost on the Erchless March. I had got 

 him bang in the right place, in the heart, so the 

 shot, though a lucky one, was a good one. He 



