312 SHORT STALKS 



struck, and lie broke into a trot and in another minute 

 was over the sky-line out of sight. I confess those last 

 shots were the height of folly, for had I refrained he 

 might have lain down in view. Aclimet, who had 

 lieaten his breast with disgust at my first shot, was now 

 full of astonislimeiit at seeing my bullets strike so hard 

 right across the valley, the range of his own mediaeval 

 weapon being aliout forty 3"ards with Turkish powder. 

 After we had searched the ground to recover my empty 

 brass cartridge cases, which were treasures in his eyes, 

 we started on a long and weary, but, alas ! useless search 

 for the stag. 



" Some days later I nearly attained success, but not 

 quite, with the l.)iggest stag I had seen. Benjamen 

 and I had heard him roarino- about noon, and had oot 

 within 400 yards of the group of pines whence the sound 

 reached us, when a hind emerged and lay down in view of 

 us. AVe followed her example, and were stretched there 

 on our faces for two hours in a roastino- Asiatic sun, nor 

 could we move a hand without her turnino' her head and 

 ears towards us. it was an intense relief Avheii, at length, 

 she got up to feed and cpiietly bedded down out of our sight. 

 We then took off our 1;)oots, clambered down the rocks to 

 the trees, and as the bellowing grew^ louder and louder I 

 assured myself that we were fast approaching the monster 

 whose sixteen points I had counted hours before. Cautiously 

 we worked our way, close together, through the trees. 

 Benjamen in the act of drawing aside a thick branch to 

 allow of our stepping over a fallen giant of the forest, 

 discovered to my gaze three great hinds within twenty- 

 five yards of us. There they wore, all eyes and ears, and 



