HOMING INSTINCTS OF WOUNDED DEER 127 
the stalker went some distance into the adjoin- 
ing forest, but all in vain. The light was begin- 
ning to go, and at last we decided to give up the 
search, for that day at any rate. The stalker, who 
had had his glass on the stag when I had fired at 
him, said he was quite sure from what he saw then 
and from the way that the stag was bleeding that 
he had been mortally wounded and could not live 
long. I felt very much depressed, for if there 
is one thing that distresses me more than another 
it is to leave a wounded stag on the ground ; 
and though I thought that the stalker with his 
experience was right in thinking that the stag 
could not live long, particularly as I knew my 
rifle and felt sure that I must have hit the stag 
somewhere not far from the heart, the fact 
remained that one could not be quite sure what 
had really happened. This was the last day of 
the season, and I was leaving on the following 
morning. The stalker promised me that he 
would search the ground on the following day, 
and that he would also tell the stalkers in the 
neighbouring forest, and that if he heard anything 
of the stag he would let me know. " I shall 
certainly know the head if it is ever found," he 
said, " for when the stag looked straight at me I 
