THE ROE DEER 
The next evening, coming home, we were quite close to Ross’s house 
when we suddenly came on a good buck feeding within ten yards. As 
we had walked along somewhat carelessly — not expecting to see any game 
— I was somewhat astonished to find this buck unaware of our presence 
at so short a range. 
The fact, however, was at once explained when I had killed him, for 
I think he was deaf — as often happens to wounded animals. On skinning 
him we found at least two charges of No. 6 shot embedded in his side, 
and it was a marvel how he could have survived at all. In the previous 
autumn some careless sportsman had probably fired a couple of long 
shots at this animal, and he was — poor creature — ^just dying by degrees. 
I do not think this living skeleton could have weighed more than 15 lb., 
yet somehow he had managed to grow quite a good head of nine and a 
half inches. 
The next day I killed a large buck, with a somewhat poor head, after 
an easy stalk, but we spent most of our time looking for the big buck, 
who seemed only to come out of his retreat at night. We saw his wife morn- 
ing and evening, and kept a sharp watch on her, but he was too cunning 
to come into the open as long as daylight lasted. The last day came at 
length, and Ross more than once threatened to “ drive ” the little wood 
to me, but I was adverse to this manoeuvre, as I feared that so cunning 
a buck would only break back and leave the wood altogether, when all 
chance of seeing him, for that year at least, would be ended. So we just 
spent the day in waiting. 
The sun was setting as we went to have our last wait above the birch 
wood, and there was the doe feeding quietly about one hundred yards 
outside the covert. She kept looking back towards the wood, as if expecting 
something, and the omen seemed good. Gradually the greens of the land- 
scape died to red, and from red to deep purple. It was eight o’clock, and 
then in ten minutes would be too dark to see to shoot. Suddenly Johnny 
pointed with his long finger, and there was the big buck slowly stealing out 
of the wood with cocked ears. He was a cunning old fellowindeed, and never 
once looked at his mate, nor put down his head for a mouthful of food. He 
just crept forward, looking intently up and down the hill. As soon as his 
head was turned from us we crept down the hill, and I got to a nice position, 
about ninety yards from him. At that time I used to shoot Roe with a single 
*300, with black foresight — a mistake I was soon forced to correct — so 
that when I raised the rifle I could hardly see either the Roe or the sight 
169 
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