240 DELIGHT OF THE SAILOES. 



one of them dead as lie lay. The otlier sprang 

 to his feet on hearing the report, and instantly 

 shared a similar fate. 



My sailors came back while I was admiring 

 these two splendid stags, as they lay bleeding 

 on the snow, and loud were Jack's expressions 

 of wonder, admiration, and delight at finding 

 as many deer lying dead in the glen, after seven 

 hours' stalking, as had taken them all four 

 we.eks to kill. One of these men — a fine young 

 fellow, the very beau-ideal of an English sailor 

 — was an ex-man-of-war' s-man, and had as- 

 sisted in that deplorable business at Petro- 

 paulauski, and he seemed to think that if 

 they had had a few four-barrelled rifles on that 

 unhappy occasion, the E-oosians would not have 

 had so much the best of it ! 



I had now shot all the deer which I could 

 discover in the valley, and more than my four 

 sailors could carry down to the sea in one day. 

 While we were cutting up the last two deer 

 a black fox made his appearance, probably 

 attracted by the smell of the venison ; but he 

 seemed to be fully aware of the important fact, 

 that his sable jacket was worth 20/.*, as he 



* A good skin of tliis rare animal is, I believe, the most 

 valuable fur in the world. 



