300 SHOUT STALKS 



paratively few of the stags seemed to roar at all, at least 

 during daylight. One reasou of this may have been that 

 there was at this time a good moon, and when this is the 

 case deer do most of their feeding at night and lie very 

 quiet during the day. Then a roaring stag is generally a 

 travelling stag, and, therefore, a difficult beast to come at. 

 I heard the first on September 28, in the big ravine far 

 below our first camp. A few hours later he was heard and 

 seen Ijy one of our party, miles away, and the next day 

 he was far in another direction. I had no douljt of his 

 identity, lie was in the first access of passion, alone, but 

 seeking the hinds. Of course I hoped to become better 

 acquainted with the voice of this charmer. 



An extensive hill rises about a thousand feet al)Ove our 

 second camp. It is a favourite resort of deer, but much of it 

 is covered with a growth of young firs twelve or fourteen feet 

 liioli, which are even more difficult to traverse and to see 

 throuoli than the bare stems of older trees. We soon found 

 an opening where deer had fed that morning, and where 

 their frao'rance still liuno- in the air. The tracks tendino- in 

 the same direction as tlie dog indicated, we allowed him to 

 lead us. Over ridiic and dale he took us. There was 

 clearly something in front, but he hesitated a good deal as 

 if something puzzled him. At last he showed signs of 

 great impatience when we reached the edge of a basin, full 

 from side to side of young fir-trees. As it was a hopeless 

 place to get a shot in, I sent Celestin round to drive it 

 towards me, but when he rejoined me it was to tell me 

 that the dog still hankered after something beyond. To 

 cut a l(jng story short, he led us, at length, into the middle 

 of a fine sounder of hoirs. "Smoke" must not be blamed for 



