220 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
flattered myself that I should get within ioo yards, 
when suddenly a hind and fawn which had been con¬ 
cealed in the deep heather sprang to their feet 
about 150 yards upon my right. I sank below the 
heather, and was out of sight, but I felt that the 
stag was on his legs. Gradually and cautiously 
raising my head, I saw the stag standing about 120 
yards from me ; the hind and fawn, upon the right, 
were looking out across the line of our positions. 
They evidently had my wind. If they had com¬ 
menced to run, the stag would have followed in an 
instant. He was looking downwards upon the glen 
below, but he was standing almost broadside 
towards me. I was lying on my back, therefore 
slowly and carefully I sat up, my head was just 
above the heather as I raised the rifle. Almost at 
the same moment the hind and fawn started off; 
the stag was in the act of moving when I fired. 
He fell to the shot, disappearing in the heather, and 
now and then exposing his antlers as he struggled 
on the ground. I began to step the number of 
paces to measure the distance, which is my usual 
custom. I had arrived about half-way, when the 
stag suddenly jumped up, and without a moment’s 
hesitation started at full speed down the steep 
mountain side, as though he never had been 
touched. 
“ Slip the dog,” I shouted at the top of my voice, 
but the knowing gillie had already done it. He 
had closed up with the keeper, whom I had left 
behind when the stalk commenced, and he had been 
