264 
THE STAG OF KERENAIG-MUND. 
out made signs, and I hastened up to him ; he had seen two of 
the dogs in chase of a deer far away on the opposite side of a 
deep and densely wooded ravine, too far off to tell if it was a 
stag, but he said the deer went as if cri{Dpled ; the only spark 
of hope was that they were coming back in our direction and 
not going away from us. After waiting a short time not 
knowing exactly what to do, there was a rush in the wood 
below us, and to my great delight out came the stag with 
two of the dogs at his flank, I saw he was quite done and was 
making down the open hill side for the stream below; He 
dashed into it and stood at bay ; stalking carefully down I 
put a ball behind the shoulder and thus ended one of the 
most exciting day's sport 1 have had for a long while. To 
show how strong these big stags are, I may mention that my ^ 
first shot had entered near the point of the shoulder, passed 
through the lower part of the chest, and through the opposite 
leg below the elbow, without breaking the bone. I fired my 
my first shot at him about eight o'clock a,m., and brought him 
to bay about a quarter to three p.m. The variations between 
hope and despair during the day w^ere great, but the finish 
was fine. 
One morning, wHien at Kerenaig-mund, I went out soon 
after dawn to the Neild Field, in hopes of meeting with a 
fine stag which frequented it. The morning was beautifully 
clear, but it soon came on to blow half a gale of wind and 
not a sambur was out; I watched till half past nine then 
had my breakfast, and was out in the field again at half past 
two. Nothing came out ; and as 1 was cogitating on my 
bad luck I suddenly saw the spreading antlers of a noble 
stag appear on the other side of the slope about fifty paces 
from me ; he stood staring at me, I could only s^e his head 
