THE STALK. 35 



tendency to throw themselves up above the level of the 

 head. Keep close to the stalker, and be sure and keep 

 as low as he does. One who understands his work will 

 often only be an inch or two out of sight of his quarry, 

 and it is unfair, and" enough to make him think un- 

 utterable things, if, keeping a few inches higher than 

 he is, you let the deer into the secret just at the end of 

 the stalk. Few things can be more disheartening or 

 trying to his temper than for him to find all the trouble 

 he has taken to get his gentleman a shot has been 

 wasted through carelessness. I remember hearing of 

 the quiet sarcasm of a stalker, who, just at the end of 

 a very long creep, had seen the deer put away by his 

 gentleman. 



" Why, what on earth could have put them away ? " 

 exclaimed the disappointed sportsman. Gravely to him 

 replied the stalker, who had been advancing flat on Ms 

 stomach, while the gentleman had been crawling on his 

 hands and knees, " Why, you was just waalking when I 

 was craaling." 



We will take it for granted that the shooter has had 

 " stag fever," and is well over it, or perhaps nature has 

 made him altogether superior to such a malady. But 

 if he have not escaped it and if there are two novices 

 together it is as catching as measles the disease must 

 run its course ; advice will not cure, neither will ivhiskey ; 

 but after a course of downright bad misses the fore- 

 sight of your rifle will by degrees cease to wobble round 

 and round. The eye will clearly see that there is a 

 stag within a hundred yards, and the brain begin to tell 

 that it will be better to keep the sight steady if you 



D 2 



