ht with each other."

While the naturalist was giving us this lecture, he was suffocating the
spectre, and pinning it down in his case. We soon after this separated
for the purpose of creeping up towards a herd of deer of which we had
caught sight. I had got some way to the right of Lejoillie and Carlos,
when I caught sight of a buck feeding near a clump of trees. I was
afraid of calling to my friends lest the animal might hear my voice.
Stooping down, I crept on, concealed by some tall grass, till I got
within thirty yards of the deer, when I fired. From its movements I
knew that I had hit it, and expected to see it fall immediately.
Instead of doing so, off it ran, leaving a trail of blood behind it. I
felt assured from this that it would soon drop, and I pursued as fast as
my legs could carry me, reloading as I ran. It had, however, got out of
shot. Still I followed, certain that it would slacken its speed, and
that I should again get it within range of my rifle. On and on I went,
not having time to look behind me to ascertain if my companions were
following, as I supposed they were doing.

After some time the deer began to slacken its pace, and I felt more
confident than ever that I should overtake it before dark. I had
scarcely observed, however, that the gloom of evening had already
commenced. The form of the deer became more and more shadowy, but still
keeping it in sight, I followed, until it suddenly disappeared. It must
have fallen to the ground, I thought, which accounted for my not seeing
it; and so on I went. I was not mistaken; before long I stumbled over
the body of the animal, still living, but fast bleeding to death. With
my hunting-knife I at once put an end to its sufferings. It was too
large an animal to carry back whole to the camp, so I began as well as I
could in the gloom of evening to skin it, and cut off the best portions
of the meat,--an unpleasant operation, and one in which I had had but
little experience, though I had frequently seen deer cut up by others.
I prepared as much as I could carry, with part of the skin when,
considering in which direction I should turn my steps to reach the camp,
I felt myself utterly at a loss to decide. I had several times turned
the deer about, so that I could not ascertain the position in which it
had fallen. To attract the attention of my friends, I fired off my gun.
I listened for a reply, but could hear none. Still, I hoped, by
proceedin