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CHAPTER III. 



Shooting black fallovv-bucks^My first stalk — My last day with 

 Donald Fraser — -Care of rifles — A lucky escape. 



In the autumn of 1857 I went to Ireland, in company 

 with my only brother, then in the i6th Lancers (I 

 grieve to say since dead), to shoot the Black-Mount 

 fallow-bucks, at the invitation of Mrs. De la Poer. 

 My uncle was then agent to the property, and was, I 

 may say, one of the finest shots in Ireland, or, indeed, 

 anywhere. I was then young and active, and longing 

 for first blood, and he very kindly lent me a most 

 beautifully-finished Joe Manton rifle. The morning 

 after our arrival at Gurteen House (which latter place 

 is, by the way, situated in the midst of the most lovely 

 woodland scenery), we started, a party of four of us> 

 viz., my uncle, the estate manager, my brother, and 

 myself, and arrived before daylight on the outskirts of 

 the enormous range of woods, and Mr. Beg (the estate 

 manager) placed us in our passes, the beaters being 

 sent round the corn-fields and hill-tops to drive the 

 deer into the woods, where there was any amount of 

 safe holding. Unless, therefore, the bucks were shot 

 as they entered the woods, there was but little chance of 

 obtaining the best and most cunning of the old ones 

 again that day. It was my good fortune to be placed 



