20 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



cartridge staring me in the face. In my hasty action 

 the breech-block had fallen. It took but a moment to 

 lower the weapon and replace the block, but that 

 moment was enough. The stag sprang with a bound 

 into the darkening forest and vanished from my ken. 

 The fourth shot was not fired. We consoled ourselves 

 with the thought that the stag already killed was the 

 finer animal of the two. 



Eric has now joined the majority, but for many 

 years afterwards whenever we met, which was fre- 

 quently, he never omitted to recall and to discuss, 

 with increasing gusto, the varied incidents of that 

 lucky afternoon. 



