me the game we expected to kill,
and followed by Boxer and Toby, we started off. A river, I should have
said, flowing from the northward, swept near the fort, and then ran
south-west. Although the country immediately round was open, about five
or six miles off was, we were told, a forest about ten miles long and
several deep, with open glades, in which, as there existed abundance of
grass, deer were sure to be found, as well as other animals. We had no
difficulty in finding our way, and in a short time came in sight of the
borders of the wood.

We of course kept a look-out for Indian trails, but we could discover
none. We rode on in full expectation of having good sport. We had not
got more than half a mile into the wood, when we caught sight of a dozen
or more wapiti feeding in a large glade. To approach them on horseback
would be impossible; we therefore dismounted and crept round under
shelter of the brushwood, hoping to get within easy shot of them. After
going some distance, the glade sweeping round to the left more than we
had expected, we found to our disappointment that we could not approach
within three hundred yards without being discovered.

"We must return to our horses, and try to reach them from the other
side," whispered Mr Tidey. "Do you stay here, Dio, and if they come in
this direction you may bring one of them down, but keep back the dogs,
unless you see that you with them can turn the herd back towards us."

By keeping on our hands and knees until we ran no risk of being seen by
the deer, we regained our steeds, and then rode to the westward for
nearly half a mile, when we once more tied them up and made our way in
the same fashion as before towards the herd. By looking through the
brushwood we could see them feeding unsuspicious of danger, when just as
we expected to be able to bring down a couple, greatly to our
disappointment a fine antlered fellow, the watchman of the band, lifted
up his head with a startled look, and the whole herd following him moved
off. At first we thought that they were going up the glade, but instead
of so doing they approached the spot where Dio was concealed. The next
instant we heard a shot, and the affrighted herd bounded off at full
speed. We saw, however, that one, a fine stag, by the way he moved was
wounded, and presently the dogs, let loose by Dio, turned him from the
course he was pursuing, and once more he approached us; suddenly he
stopped, and, lo