NO MAN'S LAND. 195 



animals eat, there is a much greater quantity spoilt. 

 In their joy at finding themselves in new feeding- 

 grounds, with fresh food galore, they will in quick 

 time fork up a heap of roots with their antlers and 

 fore-feet, which they know so well how to use. 



They were got back again after much trouble ; but 

 soon the old stag thought well to repeat the offence, 

 and he took with him more than before. After again 

 getting them back, the head ranger asked the master 

 what he had better do to prevent the recurrence of 

 such mischief " Shoot that stag in the morning," 

 was the prompt reply; "give Ronald the shot, I 

 have other matters to attend to. Early next day 

 the keeper turned out, attended by his constant com- 

 panion, a wiry fox-like collie, one from the Lake 

 district, a '' plum-pudding dog," covered with patches 

 of light and dark slate-coloured hair, having one eye 

 light green, with brown specks in it, the other a 

 greyish blue. The creature was nothing to look at 

 certainly, but he was the right sort. He seemed to 

 glide about continually, yet was never a yard distant, 

 and his strangely coloured eyes were continually 

 watching his master's face as he twisted and turned 

 closely about his legs, without ever touching them. 



