THE LAST STALK OF THE SEASON 175 
until at last we got behind a little tussock. The 
little stag was in front of the four stags, close to 
him was the big stag, and some little distance 
behind the latter were the other three stags. 
Macdougall pulled the rifle out of its cover and 
beckoned to me to crawl up. He then whispered, 
" You'll have to take him now, sir ; it's the only- 
chance you'll get. We can't possibly get a yard 
nearer." " Take him now," I said; " why, how 
far off do you say he is ? " " Oh, maybe 330 
yards," said Macdougall. " He's too far," I said. 
" I shall probably wound him, or more likely 
miss him." Macdougall's reply was, " I think 
you can manage him, sir, and, anyhow, it's your 
only chance ; we cannot get nearer." " Why not 
try to get to that next knobby," I asked, " about 
100 yards further on, behind which the big stag 
is just going ? " Macdougall said that if we 
tried to do that the other three stags behind the 
big 'stag would be certain to see us and would 
bolt and put the whole lot oif. *'Well," I re- 
plied, " if they do, we shan't be worse off than 
if I fire now and miss. Come on, let's do the 
bold thing, it sometimes pays." Macdougall 
shook his head and said, " It's no wise, I'm 
thinking." " Come on," I said. " Well, sir," said 
