A TAXTALISiXt; QUEST 305 



as we writ' tryinii' to foro'i't our misfortunes iu tlic cvciiiuo- 

 pipe — tlierc was the stag again, or one with ;i voice just 

 like liis, right al)Ove the camp, on the very hill where we 

 had toiled so Iiai'il in the morning — .Maa-a-a-augh, like an 

 ohi cat on ihc hnnsci(i]i. 



After tliis I saw only (Uic dthcr tirst-rale stag. WC 

 were altcnipling a dri\ ('. He passed nie high up (Mi the 

 fiice of the opposite hill at a distance, as I should judge, 

 of "JoO yards. T refraim^d fi'oni sliooting. lio]»ing he niiglit 

 come Dear me. 1 have never ceased to reoret it. Yet if I 

 had fired I should, have almost certainly missed liim at that 

 distance, and then I should always have blamed myself for 

 not waiting. I afterwards followed the tracks of this animal. 

 Ife was close in fVont of the men when I saw him. Vet 

 he had onl}' walked ahoul a hundred \ards I'arther. as if 

 he were strollino- (hiwn P>ond Street, and ha<l then lain 

 down to watch, altliMugh their sli^uts wei'e I'inging in 

 his ears. 



The nrroiiiid was not fjenerallv favourable foi- drivinof. 

 'Piiere was, however, one drive, that of the big ravine 

 below the first camp, from whiih I hopeil sinnelliing. 

 There wei'e gener;dl\ deer in it. and it was elosed hy a 

 line of clirts on either side, which complelel}' barred the 

 wav down th(> \alle\\ so that if the lieaters (b'ove towards 

 it. the deer must eiihei' brejk liaek thi-dugh the line, or 

 escape by a steep fonloir w hieh led to a pass. I made a 

 great circuit and deseeiidiuL; this aniloir plaee<l my.self 

 scientifically, so that nothing could ])ass unseen. I had 

 sat for t wn hours when a ]iarl\" of ja\s began to talk at 

 the bottom of the ra\ine. I ha xc often ob.ser\"ed ih.itit 

 is the habit of these birds to do this when an\' lare;e 



