A SUCCESSFUL SHOT. 87 



come into the ground, fired at the small hart which was 

 galloping away gaily, and gaily did he still continue to 

 gallop. This injudicious shot (which of course turned the 

 other deer) struck woe and dismay into the soul of Tortoise; 

 up he sprang, and dashed forward, but it was only to see 

 an antler or two vanishing out of sight under the swell of 

 the ground; still he went on as fleetly as ever he ran in his 

 life, cutting off to the point where he expected the deer 

 would reappear in crossing the bottom. There he arrived 

 just in time to get a long shot at the last deer that was 

 passing. He stopt short as an Arab's courser, and, standing 

 at once firm and collected, took a deliberate aim at him. 

 The crack of the ball could not be mistaken ; it was that 

 particular smack which it makes, distinct from any other, 

 when a deer is stricken. 



Davy came forward with the dogs at the well-known 

 sound, followed by Lightfoot; the whole party then lay 

 quietly down in the heather, Peter Fraser being enjoined 

 to examine the herd as they passed up the opposite heights, 

 and keep his eye on the wounded hart. This is always the 

 surest way of recovering him, for if you press him, and he 

 is not bit deadly, he will get forward in the middle of the 

 herd, Avhilst his wound is fresh, and run with the other deer, 

 in such a manner as will most probably occasion you to 

 lose him ; but, on the contrary, when he is not urged for- 

 ward, and sees no one in pursuit of him, his wounded part 

 stiffens, and he seeks ease by slackening his pace, or, if 

 badly wounded, by falling out altogether from the rest of 

 the herd ; and if he is not badly wounded, you must lose 

 him at any rate, at least you will have no better chance 

 with him than with his companions. 



" Now tell me, my way-worn and much injured friend, 

 what made you shoot at that little deer ? " 



"A little deer! a little deer I haud credo I thought he 

 was an enormous monster ! " 



" I must reply as Master Dull, the constable, did to the 

 erudite Holofernes, ' 'Twas not a hand credo, 'twas a 

 pricket.' Extremely juvenile he is, I promise you ; but 

 you will soon distinguish better. It would have been a 

 dead loss to the forest to have slain him, for his flesh now 



