THE STALK 395 



earth will tempt him to go a bit faster than such con- 

 dition as he may be in may warrant. It is fatal to 

 start walking too fast up a hill, and if these precau- 

 tions are not observed, the chief amusement the 

 stalker will be likely to experience will consist in sur- 

 veying the country from time to time ; and I would 

 impress on him that, until after the first steep hill 

 has been surmounted, no matter how great his thirst 

 may be, he must not drink anything, and never do 

 more than moisten his mouth with a little water. To 

 give way to thirst will spoil his pleasure for the day. 

 Likewise, if he is a smoker, he should forbear to smoke, 

 unless at an early period of the walk, and never smoke 

 at all during the day, save when he has reached the 

 top of a hill, and he is spying the next corrie, and he 

 will find a pipe then, or after his stag has been shot 

 and gralloched, all the sweeter. 



When firing up-hill at deer, a full sight must be 

 taken, and- the stalker should lie flat on his face until 

 he is able to assume a comfortable position, and then 

 raise himself slowly on his left elbow, get his rifle per- 

 fectly level, the hammers and sight being upright, and 

 lay the sights full at the fore-leg of the deer, as low 

 down as possible, and then slowly raise the muzzle 

 of the rifle until the sight is on the shoulder of the 

 animal. The trigger should be gradually squeezed, 

 not jerked, or pulled, and the chances are that the 

 bullet will strike either the neck or heart in a fatal 

 spot. When firing down-hill, the operation of aiming 

 must be reversed. 



To spy down-hill, the stalker should lie on his back, 

 with his head resting against some mound, tuft, or 

 rock ; the heels being quietly brought up as far as 



