256 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



the sky ; owing to the glare we found it almost impossible 

 clearly to distinguish the outlines of deer, and difficult even 

 to see them at all on ground which so closely resembled them 

 in general colouring. 



Although it rained only during one or two nights, a most 

 fortunate provision for us on this usually very wet coast, the 

 sky was cloudy all the time with one exception, when the hills 

 on the mainland, covered with snow, stood out bright and 

 clear against the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows of sun- 

 rise, the brilliant colouring below gradually passing into a deep- 

 blue sky above ; it did not remain so long, but was soon hidden 

 by cloud curtains. 



With the exception of a few of the younger ones, the stags 

 had now left the hinds, and more or less ragged had bunched 

 together, all jealousies forgotten. They were apparently well 

 aware that it was not them we were in 'search of, they had 

 lost all their shyness, and stood calmly gazing at us as we 

 passed, often within 30 or 40 yards, or even less ; slowly 

 turning, they walked away without fear and with full confi- 

 dence in us. Was this trusting friendship due perchance to 

 the hope that we might possibly kill certain mothers-in-law 

 who to them seemed de trop ! But the wonderful instinct 

 which told the stags that at this season of the year we came 

 not as foes, had apparently also taught the hinds that danger 

 threatened them, for they seemed wilder now than the stags 

 in the autumn, and often more difficult of approach. There 

 were great numbers of them together, and perhaps only one, 

 or at the most two, shootable beasts among them, if indeed any, 

 and these were not easy to get at, well protected as they were 

 by all the others. The deer generally were very restless, 

 owing to the almost constant easterly winds, always on the move 

 and look-out. The island was very wet, thanks to the late 

 rainy weather, and crawling about and sitting on the ground 

 when stalking and watching hinds became a very damp and 

 cooling entertainment, but we were out every day as long as the 

 light allowed, searching all parts of the island for the old ladies. 

 The stalker's boots were provided with very inefficient laces 

 already made a note of in the autumn which laces constantly 

 came undone. When the climbing was easy I did not draw 

 attention to them, but they always interested me and I watched 



