CHAPTER VII. 

 BARASINGH. 



THIS deer belongs to Kashmir and neighbouring States, not appearing 

 beyond the Indus to the west or the Ravee to the east, as far as I can 

 ascertain. I had not met with it in the markhor ground I had been on 

 in Kashmir, having devoted myself to that animal alone, varied with an 

 odd bear when moving about ; but I was determined to try for one this 

 time. 



The stag is apparently similar to the red deer of Scotland, but 1 think 

 a little heavier both in body and head. I devoted a fortnight to the 

 pursuit of it, bagging one at the commencement, and then working hard 

 without a shot for many days. 



My path led me over a low pass into a valley clothed in beautiful pine 

 woods, with cliffs and corries springing out of it on every side; the 

 bracken had turned rich deep brown, and the grass was beginning to 

 assume an autumn hue. I arranged my camp in a secluded glade, and 

 next morning made off up a corrie, to reach the top of the ridge, so as to 

 be above the game. "We examined every glen and corrie for the noble 

 stag I was in search of, but saw other game, an old red bear and two 

 half -grown cubs, away below feeding, where they remained unmolested, 

 as I would not disturb the ground. The hillside became more easy in its 

 slope, so I sent one man, carrying my '500 double, to have a look down 

 into the valley below, while we kept along the bare uplands above. 



Suddenly, as we came over the brow of a spur, my rifle-carrier dropped 

 as if shot, and whispered that there was a stag below us. Sure enough 

 there was, but he had only three points on each horn, and they were in 

 velvet, so I declined to fire. As there was a good deal of tall bracken 

 around the stag, I kept scanning the slope with my glasses to try to find 

 a better head. I soon found one, with ten points apparently, so I 

 prepared to shuffle down a little further, on my back, so as to get within 

 range ; feeling rather disgusted at having to tackle the game with a 

 single '450, while my double *500 was on the hillside somewhere else, 

 quite out of my reach. There was no use loitering, as its carrier had 

 been halted by signs when the game was viewed, and delays are too 

 dangerous to permit of my waiting till he could get round to us. When I 

 reached a friendly boulder I intended to fire from, I found the big stag 

 was looking straight up hill, and not down, as I supposed, when I 

 commenced my stalk. He was about 120 yards away, so I covered the 

 base of his neck with the rifle, but before I had a fair sight on him up he 



H 2 



