122 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



then but it is useless speculating as to what might 

 then have happened. 



They came steadily on to within about two hun- 

 dred and fifty yards of where we sat, and then halted 

 amongst some larches, where for the moment they 

 were hidden from view. In a short time, the fore- 

 most stag appeared again, but, alas! he had now 

 changed his direction and was heading for a thick 

 patch of larches only a short distance to his right, 

 amongst which he would be lost to view for good. 

 There was nothing for it but to try a shot, and I 

 thought I had better fire at the foremost of the three 

 stags, in the hope that the other two might turn back 

 and come in my direction. I could not get quite a 

 clear shot at the one I wanted, as he was moving 

 among some scattered larches; but as he was only 

 walking slowly, I got what I thought was a good sight 

 on him, and taking rather full with the two hundred 

 yards' leaf pulled the trigger. At the shot, the stag at 

 which I had aimed made a great bound forwards ; and 

 I therefore knew he was hit, and hoped the wound 

 would prove mortal. Then he disappeared amongst 

 the thick larches, and the other two were also out of 

 sight before I could fire again. We now took up the 

 spoor; but to my bitter disappointment, although it 

 soon led us into deep, soft, pure white snow, there was 

 not a drop of blood to be seen, so I knew that my 

 bullet had not touched his lungs. At the distance of 

 about a mile, however, from where I had fired, we 



