A BIG STAG. 179 



dence, to say nothing of myself. I was in a very 

 comfortable position, within 100 yards, so drew a 

 bead and let him have it. The hinds started in 

 every direction at the report, but he never moved. 

 I felt sure I had not missed, but gave him the 

 left barrel, when he quietly sank to the ground. 



When I went up and turned him over, I found 

 both bullets within an inch of each other, just in 

 the right place, and on taking out the "gralloch," 

 found they had penetrated the heart. This was 

 another of those instances with which one some- 

 times meets, when a bullet through the heart 

 does not produce instantaneous death in an ani- 

 mal. He was a big stag, and carried ten points, 

 but his antlers were not at all good. 



In the evening, when about half a mile from 

 camp, and it was getting rather dark, we suddenly 

 stopped, hearing something moving in the jungle. 

 From the sound, they were big animals, and com- 

 ing slowly our way. It was getting darker and 

 darker every minute. At last the sound seemed 

 to approach the end of the glade on which we 

 stood, and I got my rifle ready. Out stepped the 

 leading beast of the herd, one of my own rascally 

 ponies! Presently the whole gang emerged. It 

 was more than lucky I did not shoot one, for had 



