1 8 The Hunting Grounds 



herd, consisting of three harts and fourteen or 

 fifteen hinds, some of which had fawns at heel, 

 quietly cropping the herbage about two hundred 

 yards distant. 



It was a glorious sight, and I felt my heart 

 thump against my ribs as I gazed for some seconds, 

 too full of admiration to think of firing, when 

 Walter, touching my shoulder, whispered, " They 

 are too far off to make certain, so try and crawl 

 under cover of the bushes to that thick clump, and 

 you will get an easy shot. If you go carefully you 

 will not be discovered, as the wind blows strong 

 from them to us, and I will follow when I see you 

 safely posted." 



I did as he desired, and we were now about a 

 hundred and twenty yards distant from the herd, 

 which, still unaware of our presence, continued 

 browsing on the young wood and tender shoots. 



This was the anxious moment everything 

 hitherto had succeeded ; much time had been spent 

 in tracking ; the game was before us ; and all now 

 depended on a steady hand. " Take the nearest, 

 Hal," whispered Walter, " and leave the further 

 one to me fire when I whistle. Are you ready 3V 



I had covered the shoulder of a stately stag, 

 with towering antlers and a large black ruff round 

 his neck, and on the signal being given, let drive. 

 He made a bound, staggered, then fell forward, and 

 was instantly dead. 



