A GOOD DAY IN THE FOREST 73 
stalk was unsuccessful, but it was not long before 
we spied another good stag, and without much 
difficulty I managed to get into a good position 
within about 150 yards, and shot him through 
the heart. He proved to be a good eight-pointer, 
and weighed 15 stone clean. Shortly after this 
we spied a large herd of deer which were very 
restless, continually on the move. There were 
several good stags in the herd, and these were 
roaring and fighting and driving the hinds about. 
Two of them in particular, which looked like the 
heaviest, engaged in a battle which lasted for some 
time ; but gradually one of them showed signs of 
being worsted and, watching his opportunity, 
suddenly turned tail and bolted. It is rarely 
that battles of this kind end fatally — only once 
have I met an eye-witness of such an occurrence. 
The battle was between a switch and a ten- 
pointer. The combatants were fighting on the 
side of a hill and were very evenly matched. My 
informant, the stalker at Attadale, said that after 
some time the switch, taking advantage of being 
on slightly higher ground, charged his adversary 
and, getting past his guard, pierced his side with 
his antlers. The ten-pointer immediately fell to 
the ground dead. The stalker ran up and found 
10 
