50 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



We studied the lay of the ground, and then pro- 

 ceeded to make the circuit of an inconvenient lake 

 that lay between us and the deer. A mile or more 

 further on found us crouching in my case panting, 

 perspiring, and parched with thirst behind a hillock, 

 gazing on two hinds feeding a few hundred yards 

 away in an open flat, but with no stag in sight. He 

 had probably fed on into a hollow beyond. We 

 waited ten minutes or so, but no stag appeared, and 

 the question was, how to pass the hinds. We tried 

 another circuit, and promptly ran into a miserable 

 knobber, feeding all by himself beyond a ridge ; just 

 avoided scaring him by a hair's breadth and no more ; 

 had to take still a wider circuit ; and eventually 

 speaking for myself, in the last stages of exhaustion 

 reached the foot of a steep hillside, on the horizon 

 of which one of the hinds was slowly feeding out of 

 sight. The stag must either be beyond her, thought 

 I, or what we had originally spied was a phantom of 

 the imagination. I took the rifle from Daniel, for it 

 was now getting dark, and in desperation crawled 

 on after the disappearing hind. Every yard of my 

 progress brought fresh ground into sight, and just as 

 I was nearing the summit, there, 50 yards in front of 

 me, appeared a fine stag, feeding out of a hollow, and 

 broadside on. He looked as big as a horse against 

 the evening sunset sky. One step, however, would 

 take him over the ridge and out of sight. A fairer 

 chance I never had, and yet, being pumped and out 

 of condition, I could not hold the foresight on his 

 shoulder. Finally a double shot rang out, and Daniel 

 came running up, as I sprang to my feet. I knew the 

 first shot had gone anywhere but into the stag ; but 

 the second barrel had, I felt, more by chance than 



