s rifle.

It was a long shot, standing; he guessed the range in a deceptive light;
but he found himself strangely steady as he squeezed the trigger. He was
desperately hungry and weak from want of food; the deer must not escape.
Yet he was in no rash haste; for two or three seconds the tiny foresight
trembled slightly upon the mark, while the pressure on the trigger
increased. Then there was a flash; he heard no report but the smoke blew
into his eyes. Almost simultaneously, a train of red sparks leaped out
from somewhere close at his side and there was a sharp snapping in the
bush ahead.

"You got your shot in!" cried Lisle. "I think I missed him on the jump.
Come on; we must pick up the trail!"

It was easy to find; the deer had been too badly hit to bound across each
obstacle as cleanly as usual, and broken twigs and scattering withered
leaves showed which way it had gone. Besides, there were red splashes
here and there. It was, however, a difficult matter to follow the trail.
Fallen trees and dense thickets barred the way, and they had to cross the
creek every now and then. Nasmyth rapidly got breathless and before long
he was badly distressed, but he held on behind his companion. Once or
twice he was held fast for a moment or two, and breaking free, found he
had badly ripped his garments on the ragged branches. Still, it was
unthinkable that they should let the deer escape.

As he struggled forward, he remembered that the days were rapidly
shortening, and he shrank from the prospect of retracing his way to camp
in the dark. It occurred to him that it was a compliment and a mark of
very fine courtesy that Lisle had left the first shot to him. In return
for this, he must endeavor to be present to assist when he was wanted.

The deer was still invisible, but it was not very far ahead, for at times
the snapping of a stick or a rustle of disturbed underbrush came sharply
out of the woods. The light was getting dimmer and the snow was falling
more thickly.

At last the hunted creature left the valley and after a desperate
scramble the men reached the summit of the ridge above. Here the
tableland between them and the river was covered with straggling bush,
and though the undergrowth was thin they could see nothing but the long
rows of shadowy trunks. Lisle, however, picked up the trail, and they
followed it as rapidly as possible until, when Nasmyth was lagging some
distance behind, there was a shout in front of him