THE BLACK STAG IS FOUND. 287 



up towards where we were lying prone among the brackens, 

 Ramzan, who, excellent shikaree though he was, seemed to 

 prefer a good chance of securing fat venison to the more un- 

 certain one of securing a fine head but rank meat, insisted 

 that this was the animal we had heard, although he must 

 have known as well as I did that it was not. " Shoot, or 

 he'll be off," whispered he impatiently, as the animal was 

 drawing nearer and nearer when lo ! a stag, looking as 

 dark as a "peat-hag," and carrying a huge pile of antlers, 

 emerges slowly and hesitatingly from the wood. How my 

 heart thumps against my ribs as the much -coveted black 

 stag for I have now not a doubt about its being the identi- 

 cal animal stands before us within a hundred yards ! There 

 is no time to wait for my sudden excitement to abate, as the 

 small beast has fed up very close to us, and the light evening 

 wind is capricious. With trembling hands I slowly lift the 

 rifle over the brackens, but it wabbles so much, as I try 

 to cover the big fellow's shoulder, that I have to lower it. 

 Again it is raised, and, holding my breath, I press the trigger. 

 Off dashes the small beast down the hill ; but the big one, 

 although hard hit, merely gives a start, trots forward a few 

 steps, and again stops, his grand horns thrown proudly back, 

 as he quickly jerks his uplifted head round from side to side, 

 as if at a loss as to what course he should pursue. 



" Ne lugga ! " (missed him), whispers Ramzan, testily fol- 

 lowed by a rapid succession of his exasperating interjections 

 of disappointment. But he is wrong again. Before the stag 

 has time to make up his mind, another bullet of good solid 

 lead this time smashes his shoulder. Still, strange to say, 

 he scarcely moves. Gradually, however, his startled demean- 

 our becomes more listless, and his proud head begins al>\vly 

 to droop. But he is too far out to make sure of tiiii>hin^ 

 him with a shot from the smooth-bore, which would most 

 probably only semi him hack into the thick forest, where, 

 although so badly wounded, we might as likely as not lose 



