KOE-HUNTING. 55 



old bucks, fat as venison should be, and neither had cast his 

 horns. They were both (rare in roe -hunting) open, quiet 

 chances. At first starting, I noticed a buck and two does on 

 the bare hillside ; but we knew, if they were properly moved, 

 the direct path they would choose would be for the nearest 

 copse. By taking a wide circuit, I gained the shelter of a 

 brook commanding this sheep-track, while my companions got 

 to windward of the deer a long way above. 



I had my eye on the trio from the first ; but although the 

 drivers were directly in their wind, the roes showed no sign of 

 uneasiness until the distance was much decreased. The buck 

 then ceased feeding, and stood like a statue, while the does 

 looked at him occasionally, but still kept nipping the grass. 

 None of them seemed inclined to quit the ground until the 

 enemy actually came in sight. They then knit together, and, 

 led by the buck, threaded their course leisurely down the 

 burn-side. A near view of my game was, however, obstructed 

 by a mound, until the leader presented himself within shot. 

 From the first I fully expected a right-and-left ; but the does, 

 on hearing the noise, ducked back and took to the hill again, 

 while the buck, making a magnificent six-feet spring over the 

 paling into the copse, fell dead on the other side. 



About two hours later my son sighted the other buck feed- 

 ing in a green open patch of an oak coppice flanked by a wall, 

 which enabled him to secure an excellent still chance. His 

 horns were so loose that one of them was knocked off when 

 he fell. 



With three roes in the larder on the first evening of our 

 attack, we did not grudge a couple of frosty days to woodcock, 

 hare, snipe, and such " small deer." On the fourth morning 

 the keeper and pair of retrievers again plied their arduous 

 work in the thickets. The dogs were thrown into the first 

 patch with no great expectation of rousing a roe, but they 

 soon feathered and opened, bringing round the quarry full 

 before my hiding-bush. It was, as I fancied, an enormous 



