Now he would be wondering whether this wide, undulating
plain really contained the slain monarch of the mists; again he pictured
to himself that light-colored, fleet-footed creature far away in advance
of all his companions, making for some distant sanctuary among the
mountains.
"Here he is, sir!" Roderick cried, with a quick little chuckle; and the
words sent a thrill through Lionel such as he had never experienced in
his life before. "No--he's quite dead," the keeper continued, seeing
that the younger man was making ready to raise his rifle again. "I was
thinking he was well hit--and no far aweh."
At the same moment Lionel had eagerly run forward. With what joy and
pride--with what a curious sense of elation--with what a disposition of
good-will towards all the world--he now beheld this splendid beast lying
in the deep peat-hag that had hitherto hidden it from view. The stag's
last effort had been to clear this gully; but it had only managed to
strike the opposite bank with its forefeet when the death-wound did its
work, and then the hapless animal had rolled back with its final groan
into the position in which they now found it. In a second, Roderick was
down in the peat-hag beside it, holding up its head by one of the horns,
and examining the bulletmark.
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