198 MULE DEER enough to be out of sight, follow along parallel to the course the doe was taking and trust to luck to finding enough cover farther on to hide me as I descended the hill to where a closer shot could be obtained. After hastening as fast as I could for four or five hundred yards I peeped back over the ridge and could see the stag coming along, but not at as fast a speed as I anticipated, so there was time to make another examination of the slope. About a hundred yards ahead of me there seemed to be a dip leading straight downhill which might be sufficiently deep to hide me if I stooped. To it I crept, and sure enough there was cover enough for some distance anyway, but how far down it would serve my purpose was problematical. Nevertheless, it seemed hopeht and I determined to stake my chances on it. For a good hundred yards it served me well. All that was necessary was to stoop low. Then it got too shallow, which necessitated my going on hands and knees. Fifty more yards were passed and then another peep was cautiously taken. What met my gaze told me there was no time to be wasted. The stag had increased his pace to a trot for a short distance, which brought him almost on my line. Then he began to walk again, but it would have been folly to endeavour to go any closer, as when he had travelled a few yards more he would be able to see me. It behoved me to shoot at once or lose my chance. Now with mule deer any quick movement is most fatal, and this was well known to me, and yet in some stupid way I managed to jerk the muzzle of my rifle while twisting into position. Of course he spotted it at once. For about two seconds he paused and stood like a statue with his head held high and his ears cocked. His manner was such that it was palpable that he was on the point of seeking a safe place, so, taking a hurried aim, I fired. Almost at the report he was off, making four or five stiff bucks, and then he paused again. My first shot was a miss without the shadow of a doubt, but as he stopped the second time, another bullet was sent at him, and another, and yet another, as he turned and sped straight