330 DAY-DREAMS 



stalk he was clean missed ; and no doubt he Is cannier 

 than ever, and hiding in yon burn, where there is no 

 chance of getting at him with all these hinds in the 

 way, so there's nothing for it but to wait our luck, sir.' 

 ' Well, William,' I said, ' if we get this stalk, the tenth 

 will be his last, or else I'm a Dutchman ; and to make 

 you feel comfortable over the matter we will have a 

 stake on it, and if I miss him I'll give you a pound, 

 and if I hit we'll cry quits,' ' I'm glad to hear you say 

 that, sir, whatever, for I'm sick of this stag. She's the 

 best in the forest. Nine times I've managed to get 

 up to her, and every time it became harder, for a bird, 

 or anything, now startles her for miles,' he replied. 

 ' Well,' I said, ' you keep watch, and we'll have our 

 luncheon and rest ;' and I lay down, ate a hearty 

 meal, and fell asleep. How long I slept, dreaming of 

 enormous antlers coming down on us from the sky-line, 

 I can't say, but a careful pinch on the arm awoke me 

 just as I was being eaten up by an elephant with huge 

 antlers. I suppose the heat of the sun had exaggerated 

 things a bit, but in an instant I was wide awake. 

 William said, ' Be careful ; take the rifle ; I can't spy 

 any more. There's a hind coming right down on to 

 us, and you must just look over and chance it.' Taking 

 him at his word, I crawled to where it was safest to 

 look over into the corrie, and on pushing the rifle 

 through the heather and peering over, there was the 

 witch of a hind staring me straight in the face, and, 

 looking beyond her, I could see the other hinds a 

 hundred and fifty yards off, but no sign of a stag. I 

 had barely time to take it all in, when the brute of a 

 hind gave the fatal bark, the whole herd galloped off" 

 to the far side of the corrie to the west, and just as 



