102 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



the wind from him to you. If it leaves that ridge at 

 all, it is much more likely to come to this point of 

 junction with another one than it is to cross that flat. 

 That is probably just what it is now doing. At all 

 events, the chances of its doing that or else staying 

 on the ridge are greater than the chances of your 

 moving far along that ridge without being seen by it. 

 Nevertheless you may move out a little farther, be- 

 cause you got here so quickly that the deer is prob- 

 ably little over half way here. But stoop very low; 

 go very carefully; go no farther than is necessary to 

 give you a good view of either hollow in case the deer 

 should cross one of them; and then stop behind a 

 tree, stand upright behind it, and move your head in 

 looking as little and as slowly as possible. 



And there you stand while a second seems a minute 

 and a minute seems the grandfather of an hour. How 

 restless your feet become to move on again! But 

 yield not an inch to impatience now. Recollect that 

 there is not one chance in fifty that that deer will re- 

 retrace his steps; there is not one in five that he will 

 cross either flat, or one in ten that he can do it with- 

 out your seeing him and getting a tolerably fair shot 

 at him. Remember, too, that there is not one chance 

 in ten of your seeing him first if you move on. That 

 deer is probably within seventy-five yards of you and 

 feeding slowly along the ridge. 



If patience ever brings reward, it is to the still- 

 hunter. And here at last comes yours a piece of 

 dull dark gray slowly moving in some brush forty or 

 fifty yards ahead. 



No, no ; do not shoot yet. It will surely come 

 closer and make a more distinct mark. But watch it 

 closely, for you have no idea of how easily a deer can 



