42 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



I had time for two shots at the stag, at 150 yards, 

 as he crossed the marsh and then disappeared, with his 

 harem, over the brow beyond. I remember noticing 

 that he gave a distinct apparent slip at the first shot, 

 but he was going very strong as he disappeared. I 

 followed his tracks for a few hundred yards, saw no 

 sign of blood, concluded I had made a clean miss, and 

 returned home in disappointment, with vengeful feel- 

 ings against one particular hind. 



As a matter of fact, the stag was subsequently 

 found dead within a few hundred yards of where I 

 had left his trail, and the head was sent home after 

 me. I must have shot him through the flank as he 

 ran away, the bullet ranging forward into his vitals. 



From this incident I learnt two valuable lessons : 

 first, to thoroughly spy the ground before making the 

 final approach ; second, to follow the track of a stag 

 that has been fired at until it is certain he is not hit. 



We discussed all these various stalking episodes on 

 the way home across the North Sea with that friendly 

 good-fellowship that is half the charm of wild Scandi- 

 navian sport. 



After 1876 a somewhat lengthy hiatus occurred in 

 my shooting trips across the North Sea. In 1877 and 

 following years I went further afield, and it was not 

 until 1888 that I again leased a Hitteren forest, 

 though I paid the island a flying visit in 1882. But 

 in that year (1888) an opportunity occurred of secur- 

 ing the best forest on the island, the Havn and Aune 

 grounds already mentioned, and a ten years' lease was 

 accordingly then obtained by E. M. Denny and myself. 

 This forest comprised 60,000 acres in its central and 

 southern portion, containing the thickest woods, the 

 highest f jelds, and the largest number of deer among 



