214 THE STALKING OF A STAG 



We could see nothing but a dense mass of pines and 

 rhododendrons from the top of the ridge, so made 

 our way in the direction of the sound. 



" Big stag ! " I said, throwing out my arms. 



Lao- Wei shook his head, and put two fingers 

 close together to indicate the insignificance of the 

 roarer. 



I was rather damped, but still stuck to my 

 opinion, fostered, I admit, by inclination, that it 

 was my friend of last night. 



Half an hour's walk over the same ground which 

 we had traversed in the morning brought us to the 

 edge of the wood. My companion motioned me 

 to sit down and wait. 1 had just taken a photo- 

 graph, when, simultaneously with the click of the 

 shutter, came a magnificent roar from the opposite 

 slope. 



We were at a great disadvantage, for the frozen 

 snow in the wood made a horrible noise, the trees 

 were sparse and the leaves of the rhododendrons 

 rustled loudly whenever we came in contact with 

 them. However, we managed to reach the edge of 

 an opening, and there, on a bare patch five or six 

 hundred yards away, with his three hinds, was the 

 stag we had seen the night before. He was 

 standing rather morosely below a tree, with 

 drooping head, and I had a good view of his fine 

 forks and strong horns. 



We now experienced a most anxious time. The 

 evening was drawing in by 5.30 it would be 

 almost too dark to shoot ; and we had to move 

 very cautiously, for the deer were making for the 

 edge of the wood, on a course which would bring 

 them within a hundred yards of us. We had to 



