206 HUMAN VULTURES. 



ploughed up the ground in his rapid descent is easily fol- 

 lowed, and we soon overtake him near the bottom of a steep 

 rocky water-course, where he has lain down. He makes an 

 effort to rise on our approach, but a shot effectually stops 

 his farther progress ; and after a considerable amount of 

 dodging to avoid his swaying horns and kicking hoofs, we 

 at last succeed in giving hira the coup de grdce with all due 

 ceremony. 



He was indeed a royal hart in every sense, with wide- 

 spanning horns which measured six and a half inches round 

 the thinnest part of the beam, and such brow, bay, and tray 

 antlers as few stags can show. Yet I hardly deserved to 

 get him, for we found that although the first shot had 

 struck him just behind the shoulder, it was so low down 

 that there was barely an inch to spare. We should cer- 

 tainly have seen the last of him had he not chosen the 

 open instead of the wooded side of the spur for his line of 

 retreat, thereby giving me a chance of spoiling his haunch 

 as I did. 



It was too late to make arrangements for carrying away 

 the spoils that evening ; so leaving our two spare men to 

 keep up a bonfire for scaring off the bears, which would be 

 certain to sniff the venison, Eamzan and I started for the 

 camp. Night overtook us in the dark forest whilst we had 

 still some way to travel, but our signals of distress were 

 soon answered by our men below, who brought up pine- 

 torches to light us down the hill. 



Next day the villagers, who seemed to have scented the 

 meat from afar, flocked to our camp from all directions, like 

 so many vultures. 



As the stags were reported to be now pretty constantly 

 heard on the heights above Nouboog, we returned to our old 

 quarters in that direction. During the next two or three 

 days, although stags were frequently heard, nothing witli 

 horns was seen, until early one morning the spy-glass was 

 brought to bear upon a solitary fellow carrying a splendid 



