76 DEER-STALKING. 



wind every few seconds, standing at times as if petrified, 

 and staring hard, which made me very uncomfortable ; 

 and yet it was impossible to help admiring the grace 

 and freedom of his every movement. As he turned 

 away I wormed myself like a snake out of the burn 

 into a patch of heather leading up to him ; and now I 

 seemed almost to pull myself along by my eyelids. 

 Each time he raised his head I was flat and motionless, 

 each time he resumed his feeding I wormed myself 

 slowly nearer, till at last I could no further go, the 

 thick heather being burnt. It seemed a very long shot, 

 and he was standing head on to me. However, I saw 

 at a glance it was now or never ; so I put up the sight, 

 resolved if he moved away from me to fire, and if he 

 came nearer to wait. It was soon settled. He strode 

 away, and then for one instant stood broadside to me 

 as if carved in marble. Whether something had alarmed 

 him will never be known, for, taking a quick aim, I 

 pressed the trigger with a beating heart. Springing to 

 my feet to clear the smoke and use the second barrel, 

 there was nothing in sight! Wildly I looked about, 

 despairingly I sighed, " Missed, by all that's riling ! " 

 Then came yells from Archie, "Run up! run up! well 

 done you ! " and I dashed towards the place where the 

 stag had stood, and on the other side of a knoll there 

 he laid not dead, as a vicious sweep of the horns 

 warned me. Archie was soon up, and going in behind 

 him, seized his horns, while I administered the coup de 

 grace in front both operations requiring some little 

 coolness. He was a good fat stag of ten points, and 

 weighed seventeen stone clean the next day. As it 



