76 CHAPTER XL 



attempt an approach. Then, when he did so, in the cleared condition 

 of the atmosphere, it was seen that the stalk required passing within 

 sight of three other lots of deer. 



Thus Danny's task was quadrupled. He had to stalk so that we 

 should be invisible from four points at once. It seemed a task beyond 

 the power of man, but my lengthy Scotchman was successful, although 

 what he did availed us not at all, for the deer we sought moved 

 part way up the shoulder of the mountain. As they came quartering 

 toward us I felt they had not seen nor scented us. 



We now had to climb back up to the top of the mountain down 

 whose face we had so cautiously and laboriously moved for at least 

 a thousand feet. From the top Danny spied our animals, this time 

 apparently settled because some of them were lying down and the 

 rest quietly feeding. 



We worked our way along the summit for some distance and then 

 Danny motioned to me and whispered that the only way to get at 

 the deer was by stalking down a very steep grassy face for a hun- 

 dred yards, half of this distance within plain sight of the deer if they 

 should look up. I told him it would be a new experience and he 

 could lead on. 



That was a most engaging stalk. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

 The ground, just about as sharply tilted as any ground could be and 

 still hold grass, or itself, for that matter, clung to the face of the 

 mountain. Danny went first, flat upon his stomach, digging hands 

 and elbows and knees and toes into the soil and I followed literally 

 upon his heels, for sometimes my body would move forward more 

 rapidly than I wished and my face actually touch the hobnailed 

 bottoms of his boots. 



I had my field glasses in a case suspended from my shoulder. This 

 swung around underneath me and digging into the earth acted as a 

 brake. I attempted to make no move until I was sure my toe-hold 

 gained by pressing the toe of my heavy shoe, protuberantly hobnailed, 

 into the bank would make me feel reasonably safe. 



At that it was touch and go often whether I would start a sliding, 

 downhill movement which would only end at the bottom of the tidy 



