"I have that honour, Herr Graf."
"Then you'll please to shut up, that's all, and get that wretched little animal out of the road. Not run quickly! D—n his impudence! I'll have to teach these German thieves some better manners."
With which, and many more muttered grumblings, the Count walked off, leaving Hermann to cover up the dead body of the fawn, and mark the place, so that it could be afterwards taken away and securely buried.
When the Count came up to the rest of the party, he was smiling urbanely.
"Stolen a march upon me, eh?" he said to Will. "On my own ground, too. 'Gad, I'll show you something before we've done. I hadn't the ghost of a chance either time I shot; and it was lucky I missed the second time, because I saw immediately afterwards that it was a doe."
"She had a fawn with her, hadn't she?" said Will.
"Yes," replied the Count, with a sharp glance all round the circle of faces.
Hermann now came up, and chose two of the strongest lads to carry home the two deer. Each lad had one of the animals slung round his shoulders, while he grasped two of its thin legs in either hand, and allowed the neck, head, and horns of the buck to hang down in a picturesque fashion behind him. Will went privately up to one of the boys:
"You know Grete Halm?"
"Yes."