STALKING ON THE BOG. 119 



us, and then, turning, walked straight away 

 from us. 



I walked after it as fast as I could in 

 the soft, spongy bog, stopping whenever 

 it stopped and only moving when it did. 

 Presently I was within a hundred yards of it, 

 but did not care to fire a shot at its hind- 

 quarters, so I kept my distance and waited 

 for it to turn. 



After a time it approached a low rocky ridge 

 and in climbing on to this changed its direction 

 and for a moment presented its broadside to 

 me. I took as quick an aim as I could and 

 fired. The stag dashed forward and dis- 

 appeared over the ridge, but I felt sure I had 

 hit it, though I did not hear the bullet tell. In 

 a few seconds the animal appeared coming 

 towards us again some fifty yards farther along 

 the ridge, and staggering down to the marshy 

 ground below it, fell dead. 



It proved to be a very large and heavy animal 

 and was excessively fat. Judging by the 

 appearance of its teeth it must have been very 

 old, but its horns, though of good length and 



