MATING 57 



together they stood, each striving to force the other back, 

 but neither moved for they were evenly matched. After a 

 few moments they drew apart and the bush-staring stag 

 resumed his apparently foolish attitude. This provoked the 

 other to a second attack with exactly the same result. Half 

 a dozen times this was repeated without any advantage being 

 gained by either one. Throughout these encounters there 

 was always a small cluster of dwarf trees which effectually 

 prevented my taking any photographs of the scene, tor I 

 dared not make even the slightest move because the white 

 doe was suspiciously watching in my direction. How I 

 disliked that doe ! Yet I could not help admiring the 

 persistent manner in which she did her sentry work. Any 

 herd with a doe like that could feed, sleep and travel in 

 peace, satisfied in the knowledge that they were being 

 carefully guarded against the possible approach of enemies. 

 Before the day had passed, however, I had the pleasure of 

 outwitting her and I don't know of anything in the way of 

 animal stalking that ever gave me greater satisfaction. 

 Eventually the two stags lost all idea of fighting and, contrary 

 to all that I have ever heard, quietly began feeding. Every 

 account that has come to my knowledge either by reading 

 or hearsay agrees, without qualification, that during the 

 rutting season the stags entirely refrain from eating, the only 

 form of nourishment they are supposed to take being muddy 

 water or even soft mud. What gave rise to this idea I 

 cannot understand, because nearly half of the stags (I speak 

 only of the mature ones, for the youngsters feed just as the 

 does do) I watched for any length of time did eat to a 

 greater or lesser extent ; but in no case did they eat as 

 persistently as did the does and fawns. During this season, 

 while the rut is in full swing, the large stags do not appear 

 to sleep nearly as frequently as the rest of the herd or at 



