368 SHORT STALKS 



the spectre of the Brockeii. I coiikl not be mistaken in 

 his identity for I coukl pkainly see tke stump of his miss- 

 ing leg, but the curtain came down again before anything 

 coukl be done. We moved on however throuoh the mist. 

 As if by magic it suddenly lifted. Again I caught a glimpse 

 of a buck just about wliere the "Soldier" kad been, but 

 ke saw me as quickly as I saw him, and was over the edge 

 before I could draw a bead. I ran forward, peered over, 

 and could kenr liim rattlino; below. As lie readied tke 

 bottom ke stood a moment and gave me a fair view wdtli 

 a good background of snow. I saw^ tke kair fly to tke 

 bullet. Tke l)uck stumbled, recovered kimself, ran a few 

 yards, and fell over dead. Tke invulnerable lay stricken 

 at last, and tke stalwart wdio kad defied us so long was, 

 as I supposed, overtkrown ; but before descending to 

 possess myself of kim I took a look at liini tkrougk my 

 glass. Lo and hekold lie had got four Icc/s, and, tkougli 

 tke l)iooest izzard I ever skot — he weiohed 60 lbs. — he 

 was, comparatively, a young buck. Now wdiether the 

 " (31d Soldier" renewed kis youtk like Faust, in tke person 

 of tliis vigorous young buck, or wdietker ke went up to tke 

 kappy kuiiting grounds as one of tke cloud forms wkick 

 floated around us, according to my information, from tliat 

 day ke was uever seen again hy living man. 



Before I conclude tkis ckapter it may be wortk 

 wkile to give a kint to future sportsmen. In tke transit 

 across France, cartridges, and tke means of passing 

 tkem tkrougk tke douanes, are always an anxiety. I 

 once kad a bad quarter of an liour at Paris. Wken I 

 went to seek my luggage tke usual long bench was 

 searched in vain. At length I discovered it, set by itself 



