XXIV 
THE WAPITI 
273 
two stags which had been wounded at the long 
range. Accordingly, upon nearing the ridge, I 
cautiously advanced on foot, and taking a rock to 
cover the line of approach, I looked over a narrow 
shoulder of the mountain exactly in our front. 
There was a bare plateau of about 3 acres, 
beyond which were a few stunted spruce firs grow¬ 
ing in a scattered group on the verge of the descent 
to the low country; some 7000 or 8000 feet beneath. 
Among the group of spruce there was a stag with a 
fore leg broken just below the shoulder. Another 
was standing upon the open about 150 yards from 
me, with its hind-quarters towards us, its legs wide 
apart, and its head lowered till the nose almost 
touched the ground. I knew the sickening effect 
of the solid *577 bullet, and I could see that this 
was the shot in the hind-quarters which had raked 
the poor beast fore and aft. Although I could 
depend for extreme accuracy upon the *577, I told 
Jem to hand me my Martini-Henry which I had 
lent to him, as I wished to prove its reputation— 
we therefore exchanged rifles, and carefully turned 
to the right, in order to see the stag in any other 
position than the rear. It did not appear to notice 
us, and upon reaching a spot where the neck was 
plainly visible, the Martini-Henry dropped it dead. 
We now advanced towards the clump of spruce 
where the stag with the broken leg had been seen 
upon our arrival on the crest. Unfortunately the 
last shot fired had started it at full speed down the 
hill, in spite of the broken fore leg. I ran to the 
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