THE HUNTED STAG. 165 



into the boat. They throw a rope round the 

 stag's antlers, and draw him on board, and 

 immediately tie his legs. A stag seems an 

 awkward animal to get into a boat, but they 

 manage it without much difficulty, and bring 

 him ashore to be killed. The huntsman, as 

 before observed, always kills, that he may 

 be sure it is a warrantable deer of proper 

 age ; if it proves not to be mature, the stag 

 is let go. Stags have been lost at sea, and 

 their bodies washed ashore at Cardiff or 

 Swansea, on the opposite coast, drowned 

 after a long combat with the waves. How 

 far a stag would swim if he started fresh, 

 without being wearied from a long run, is 

 uncertain, but certainly he could get over 

 a great distance. 



The boatmen receive a guinea for bring- 

 ing in a stag, and half a guinea for a hind. 

 A hound named " Credulous " swam after 

 a stag, seized him by the ear, and, partly 



