212 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. ‘{cuap. xxv. 
just as a bullock does when rising from his night’s lair. My heart 
throbbed, as turning all round he seemed to try the wind for his 
security, and then walked straight to the burn, at a point about one 
hundred and fifty yards from me. JI was much tempted, but had 
resolution to reserve my fire, reflecting that I had but one barrel. 
He went into the burn at a deep pool, and standing in it up to 
his knees, took along drink. I stooped to put on a new copper 
cap and prick the nipple of my rifle ; and—on looking up again, 
he was gone! I was in despair; and was on the point of moving 
rashly, when I saw his horns again appear a little farther off, 
but not more than fifty yards from the burn, By-and-by they 
lowered, and I judged he was lying down. “You are mine at 
last,” I said ; and I crept cautiously up the bed of the burn till 
I was opposite where he had lain down. I carefully and inch 
by inch placed my rifle over the bank, and then ventured to louk 
along it. I could see only his horns, but within an easy shot, 
I was afraid to move higher up the bed of the burn, where I 
could have seen his body ; the direction of the wind made that 
dangerous. I took breath for a moment, and screwed up my 
nerves ; and then with my cocked rifle at my shoulder and my 
finger on the trigger, I kicked a stone which splashed into the 
water. He started up instantly; but exposed: only his front 
towards me. Still he was very near, scarcely fifty yards, and I 
fired at his throat just where it joins the head. He dropped on 
his knees to my shot; but was up again in a moment, and went 
staggering up the hill. Oh, for one hour of Bran! Although 
he kept on at a mad pace, I saw he was becoming too weak for 
the hill. Heswerved and turned back to the burn; and came 
headlong down within ten yards of me, tumbling into it ap- 
parently dead. Feeling confident, from the place where my ball 
had taken effect, that he was dead, I threw down my rifle, and 
went up to him with my hunting-knife. I found him stretched 
out, and as I thought dying; and I laid hold of his ‘horns to 
raise his head to bleed him. I had scarcely touched him when 
he sprang up, flinging me backwards on the stones. It was an 
awkward position. I was stunned by the violent fall; behind 
me was a steep bank ofseven or eight feet high; before me the 
bleeding stag with his horns levelled at me, and cutting me off 
from my rifle. In desperation I moved; when he instantly 
