A LOST STAG. 67 



formed but a stalk of half a mile or so, I did not find it possible to 

 lie on the wet ground for more than half an hour without becoming 

 too cold for comfort. When I had about given up the situation as 

 a hopeless one, the deer, probably roused by some scent from the 

 party ahead, rose to their feet, but by ill fortune the hinds nearest 

 us got up first, then all of them in a big body moved away. 



It was impossible to shoot, although I hoped and watched for an 

 opening, without running a long chance of hitting a hind; so I was 

 compelled to lie tight and watch my stag walk away. 



Strangely enough the deer changed their minds, after having gone 

 four or five hundred yards, and began to feed; then they slowly 

 worked back toward the point from which they had first been startled. 

 In another hour they were back within 450 yards. Then John under- 

 took to take me out of the place in which we were and by a round- 

 about way to bring me out on the hillside at a new point which would 

 be close enough for a shot. 



We made the stalk, but from lack of experience or because he 

 wanted that inborn sense for stealth and secret approach which is 

 an indispensable part of a stalker's equipment, John, though he got 

 me close enough to the deer, about 200 yards, did so only at the cost 

 of disturbing them, so, when I moved into firing position, they were 

 alarmed and on foot. That would not have been serious but for the 

 stag being surrounded on all sides by hinds. There was no way I 

 could fire at him without running the risk of hitting one of the others 

 and that was not to be thought of. 



I kept the rifle as near on him as I could and hoped for an opening 

 through which a shot could be delivered. Finally, at a distance just 

 short of 400 yards when all hope had begun to disappear, the deer 

 strung out in a longer line to get through a narrow way and I 

 chanced a long and hard shot at the stag, now moving at good speed. 



I fired quickly, instinctively favoring the left a little, as my target 

 was moving from right to left. The stag left the line of the others 

 and made several bounds at a peculiar gait in a downhill direction. 

 Then he went on, apparently quite as good as ever. I asked John, 

 who was supposed to be watching the beast through his telescope, if 

 he could tell where the shot had struck. He was unable to say. 



