26 DEER-STALKING. 



out for days together for fear of sending their deer all 

 over the country for the benefit of their neighbours. 

 On certain grounds there are places in which, whatever 

 and however the wind blows, so mysteriously does it 

 eddy that it is an impossibility to stalk a deer places 

 in which no one has ever been known to get a shot ; 

 and these spots the deer know right well, and frequent 

 with the most annoying regularity. When found in 

 such a position, the only plan is to go through the 

 form of making the attempt, and trust that when they 

 move they will shift to better ground and eventually 

 give a fair chance of a stalk. In the middle of the 

 day deer usually lie down, and will sometimes so 

 remain for two or three hours at a stretch, and nothing 

 is more tiresome than passing this time about a 

 hundred and fifty yards from them. Afraid to smoke, 

 daring hardly to whisper, lying in a cramped position, 

 perhaps knee-deep in peat or water, and exposed to 

 a cold wind, the temptation to take a lying shot and 

 put an end to the suspense becomes very great. Care- 

 fully a bead is drawn on the best stag, and it begins 

 to look a certainty; but if the stalker knows his 

 business he will do all he can to protest against 

 the experiment being made, and in the end patience 

 will reap the reward. If there is a big herd, the 

 time will pass more quickly if the glass be cautiously 

 brought to bear, and stock be taken of each individual 

 stag. Count the points on each head, and determine 

 which is really the most shootable, and then to fill 

 up more time look them all over again and try to 

 guess what each one is thinking of! If an easy 



