A QUESTION OF CHOICE 281 



by way of defiance, sweeps his antlers scythe-wise 

 through the heather in front of him, leaving a 

 mark in torn-up heath and peat which survives 

 the season. When this insolence becomes un- 

 endurable the master of the herd rushes out to 

 punish it. There may be a fight. In any case, 

 his eyes are for some minutes off his charges 

 while he is engaged chasing the intruder away, 

 and in those minutes complications arise. 



Another young stag has been watching events 

 from the opposite side, and as soon as the attention 

 of the dominant one is diverted he approaches, 

 bold as brass. If there is a fight going ahead 

 he descends upon the packet of hinds and begins 

 to cut out a few for himself. It commonly happens 

 that they are by no means loth to go, and when the 

 lord of the lot returns it is to find two or three of 

 his wives trotting away with a four-legged Jock 

 o' Hazeldean. With a roar he rushes after them, 

 and probably the thievish young male bolts with 

 all possible speed. If he stays to make a fight 

 for it the ladies will wait for the upshot, and only 

 accompany the victorious old stag when he indig- 

 nantly prods them back to join his other wives. 

 They go, in deference to superior force, casting 

 long, longing looks after the younger stag the 

 while. 



This encounter over, this infidelity punished, 

 the stag in possession returns, only to find another 

 episode of the same sort in progress. An inter- 

 loper, perhaps two of them, are among his wives 

 inciting them to elopement. His rage flares up 

 again, and he dashes at them; and after them and 



