34 DEER -STALKING. 



I had twice an opportunity of seeing these three men 

 fairly tested with the rifle. Some deer being discovered 

 near the top of a high hill, it was arranged, as all their 

 passes were well known, to drive them with some shepherds 

 and their colleys. My brother and I begged hard to join 

 the party, and were placed under charge of the game- 

 keeper, whose pass was one of the best. Before starting, 

 however, the left-shouldered man wished to fire off an old 

 load, being afraid to risk it at the deer. It was suggested 

 that he should shoot at a hare. We had not gone far 

 when one rose about forty yards off. Even now I think 

 I see the cool way in which he raised his rifle, and, allow- 

 ing poor puss a free stretch of thirty yards, fired. The 

 hare dropped dead, and, when we went up, she was fairly 

 struck between the shoulders. After a time we were safe 

 in our passes, and the driving-party commenced their 

 manoeuvres. We soon heard the yelp of the dogs, and, 

 shortly after, the floundering of a deer in some mossy 

 ground immediately above the pass. Presently it made 

 its appearance, crossing us at about sixty yards' distance. 

 It was a beautiful chance. Taking deliberate aim, the 

 gamekeeper fired. To our astonishment and chagrin, the 

 deer which had been moving slowly along, bounded for- 

 ward, frightened enough, but unhurt. No other chance 

 was obtained till near the end of the day, when the old 

 forester fired a tremendous long shot, and struck the deer, 

 which ran for a few hundred yards, and then dropped. 



Another time, when the deer had taken the water, there 

 was a general scramble to the shore ; a boat was quickly 



