So Sport and Life. 



Soon the clashing of antlers and angry snort of the combatants 

 told its tale, and, as I knew from former experience that stags while 

 they are fighting are quite oblivious to what occurs around them, I 

 stepped out into the light, and gave a low shout, which sent the 

 non-combatants in double quick time back into the forest. 



Probably I might have walked close up to the stags without 

 interrupting the tussle ; but 1 was afraid that one or the other, or 

 both, might turn against me, as I knew our European red deer do 

 during the rutting season, and an Express is but a poor weapon 

 at night time. So I kept at a respectful distance, some twenty or 

 thirty yards from cover, and from there I watched the fight for quite 

 half an hour. For several minutes at a time the antlers appeared 

 inextricably locked together, and as one of the stags seemed the 

 stronger, though not the more agile of the two, superior weight 

 would in those moments enable the heavier animal to fling his 

 adversary from side to side, without, however, being able to free 

 his own horns wherewith to do grievous injury to his foe. Before 

 long one was on his knees, pressed down apparently by main force ; 

 then the other, staggering back, would for a brief moment halt 

 before rushing with deadly intent at his adversary ; but by the time 

 he had regained his breath, and was ready for the onslaught, the 

 foe was on his legs again, and antler crashed against antler with a 

 force that seemed irresistible. The heavier of the two stags 

 appeared to be well aware of the one advantage his superiority in 

 weight gave him, for the tactics just described were repeatedly 

 tried by him, only to be foiled by his agile adversary, who 

 invariably managed to regain his feet and receive the charge with 

 lowered head and antlers en garde. The combatants had moved 

 about the meadow, much as expert boxers would, though after a 

 quarter of an hour's fighting, weight had told its tale, and the 

 smaller stag had to retreat more frequently than ever, and the 

 adversaries were fast approaching the edge of the forest at the 

 latter's back. Here a last stand was made by the defeated one, 

 and a ten minutes' tussle ended by bringing both onto their knees ; 

 and here, too, the repulsed one received his death wound, though I 



