202 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



and make off down the slope of the ridge up which 

 we had just come. I halted immediately, and stood 

 perfectly still behind a tree just on the crest of the 

 rise, and I don't think she saw me. She was soon 

 followed by six more hinds and calves, all trotting 

 slowly one behind the other in single file ; but for 

 some time no stag showed himself, and I began to 

 think the cunning brute for certain signs had 

 assured us, as we were tracking the herd, that there 

 was a stag with them must have broken back and 

 dashed off alone across the open ground on the other 

 side of the grove of trees. But no ; after a few 

 seconds of agonising suspense a noble-looking mon- 

 arch of the mountains walked slowly from the shelter 

 of the pine-trees and followed the ladies of his 

 household, who had now halted about fifty yards down 

 the slope. When they saw him, they came trotting 

 along the face of the slope, passing in quite open 

 ground not more than sixty or seventy yards below 

 me ; and as the stag followed them, I waited until he 

 came past, though he had been well within shot ever 

 since he came out from amongst the trees. As he 

 did not know where I was, and probably had not the 

 least idea why the hinds had trotted off, he came 

 along very leisurely, looking magnificent, for although 

 his antlers were but moderate in size, there were no 

 others of larger proportions near to dwarf them, and 

 even a very ordinary wapiti stag, seen at short range 

 in its native wilds, is a glorious sight to look upon. 



