104 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



the snow about 600 yards away. Gradually and 



slowly, in serpentine fashion, at full length we 



wormed ourselves over the flat, yard by yard, until 



we gained the reverse of the hill on which the bucks 



were lying. Here for a moment we could stand 



upright. Then came the final stage of the approach. 



We were now within 150 yards of a long shot. The 



very rock was noted from which the shot might be 



taken, and on hands and knees we approached it. At 



this point the bucks must needs get up. Two were 



splendid beasts, with long branching horns. The 



third was a trifle smaller. Fortunately for us, at the 



edge of the snow were two or three large boulders, 



behind whose friendly shelter we managed to approach 



to within 160 yards or thereabouts. The deer were 



moving slowly across and away from us towards some 



feeding below. I hastily whispered to Jordhai, who 



also carried a rifle, to shoot at the leading buck with 



me. We slowly put our rifles over a convenient rock, 



and the next moment two shots rang out together. 



Both bullets struck fair behind the shoulder of the 



largest buck, who ran a few yards over the snow and 



then fell dead. 



I next turned my attention to the other two, and 

 fired three more shots from my single-barrel Henry 

 express at the next largest of them as he ran up the 

 snow-glacier. Jordhai did not fire again. At the 

 top of the sloping white hillside the buck slackened 

 his pace, and finally stood still. A second buck was 

 too much to hope for, but we both watched him with 

 anxious curiosity through our glasses. Then the 

 buck walked on a few yards, and to our delight 

 for we were still bloodthirsty lay down, while his 

 smaller companion ran on and disappeared. 



