THE PRACTICE OF DEER-STALKING 141 



shot. I -will not do the amateur the injustice to say 

 that he is likely to make a mess of it, but my own 

 experience in stalking is that on such occasions there 

 is a good deal of time lost in walking along the ridge 

 or crawling up and down in search of the said boulder, 

 accompanied by mental ejaculations respecting the 

 ultimate fate of this inanimate object which it is not 

 here necessary to repeat. 



A minor evil which I used to find when stalking 

 myself, was a sense of discomfort caused by the 

 strained position of the neck when walking uphill, as 

 you are obliged to be constantly on the look-out 

 on opening fresh ground, when at any moment a hind 

 and calf, or a small stag, might jump up and spoil the 

 stalk. 



These considerations apply to the owner of a 

 forest attempting to dispense with the services of a 

 stalker. It will be readily understood that, in the 

 case of a guest, the practice is quite inadmissible. 

 There is no objection to anyone, owner or guest, 

 doing for himself the last few yards of the stalk. If 

 he can be trusted, it is far better and safer that he 

 should do so. If he cannot be trusted, it is wiser and 

 safer to leave it to the professional. 



The consideration which is paramount in deer- 

 stalking operations is the direction of the wind, 



