266 
CHECKMATED. 
One morning as I was proceeding to the lower part of 
the middle crags Francis pointed out a fine stag feeding 
under the chfifsj so we immediately started to stalk him. I 
got to the cliff above him and as 1 craned over, I saw him 
looking at me. I had to fire right down on his back, and as 
he dashed away I gave him the other barrel. He pulled 
up a long way out of shot, turned round and deliberately 
looked at us. With the glass I could see quite plainly, two 
wounds— one on the withers and the other evidently a flesh 
wound on the fore arm — there he stood, every now and 
again raising his injured leg and afraid to move. He had 
taken up a very commanding position on the spur of the 
mountain, and after watching him for a quarter of an hour 
I left Francis to occupy his attention while I endeavoured 
to stalk up to him from below. However, it was such a 
still evening that he could hear every rustle of the grass 
as I approached, and long before I got vvithiji fair shot 
he saw me, and 1 had to remain where I was for more 
than half an hour, regularly checkmated. At last he 
disappeared over the brow, and I was immediately up and 
after him, but he had gone down the mountain and I 
saw him far down below us close to the forest, going 
uncommonly strong for a wounded one. He was a very 
large stag, as Francis said, like a buffalo, with handsome 
horns ; it was disappointing not getting him, and I was by 
no means pleased with my shooting ; however, there is this 
to be said that shots from above are more likely than any 
others to glance and miss the vital parts. 
I was anxious to get a stag which I had known for some 
time, and which frequented a small wood at the foot of a 
precipitous rock, so one cold frosty morning in January, 1S69, 
