A TAN'iwi.isiNd (,)['KST :^o•^ 



juisli t'orw.-ird as softlv as I ((Uild llinniuli tlic iiitorveniiig 

 I'luiu]^) of N'oiiiiu,' firs, l)iu all the tiiiic my sli-ps wci-c liiiri-i(Ml 

 l>v tlic sound of the struuii'lc beliiiid me, and thai which I 

 divadfil oc{-urn'(l. I havi^ no doul)| tlial the sta^ heard 

 it too. As 1 m'utlv |)nshc(I aside tiic hist liraiifhrs I suw 

 a great pair of l>ro\v antlers pointing skywards, the erowns 

 (tf the same thrown well Itack Ix'hiiid two attcntixe 

 ears, and a keen nose pointing- in my direction. A very 

 (piiek sliot nn;4ht have u'ot his ritir oH", Imt that I am not, 

 and het'ore I could hrimj,' mine to m\' shoulder, the stau; 

 whipped round and was hidden by a l)usli. At the same 

 niom(Mit scvci'al white stei-ns flasln^l awav. I ran as hard 

 as 1 eould to the edo'c of the next hollow. The deer were 

 crashino- tln'ouo'li it, in\isil)le to me. In a monu-nt thev 

 appeared, and there stood my stag in all his o-loiy, not more 

 tlian a hundred \-ards awav, hut in a dim lielit. \\ hv 

 do I >a\' mv stag? — tlie stag that ought to have been 

 mine. Oh I what a head he had! Ihit how lonu' wouhl 

 he stay so? A singde stride would hide him again. T 

 dared not sit or he (hiwn for a stead\- shot. 1 nmst 

 take him just so, as 1 stootl. pant in;.;-. I did all I knew 

 to pull mxself together for that shot. hut. as the hammer 

 fell, some restless overta.xed organ refused to he «|uiet. 

 .M\' left hand dritppe(|. ev<'r so little, and the bullet — 

 Well ! I .-u^ipose it grazeil him. \'>'V he sprang in the aii- as 

 if he were, struck, but 1 ncxcr found any other sign thai 

 that was so. In the meanwhile. "" Smoke's" stiaiggles wei-e 

 So violent th.it he ;ictu;dl\' bnike awa\' out of his collai- 

 and h;id another little course on his own account, and m\' 

 feelings t(»wards the biped who li;id caused the trouble were 

 not iVieudK'. Then cnnn' the wear\ li.inip Immi'. ;ind lu-l 



