DEER-STALKING AND COURSING 



Avas immediately checked. Buskar was not far behind, for 

 soon afterwards passing Bran, he seized the deer by the neck. 

 Notwithstanding the weight of the two dogs which were hang- 

 ing to him, having the assistance of the slope of the ground, he 

 continued dragging them along at a most extraordinary rate 

 (in defiance of their utmost exertions to detain him), and svic- 

 ceeded more than once in kicking Bran off. But he became at 

 length exhausted : the dogs succeeded in pulling him down, 

 and, though he made several attempts to rise, he never com- 

 pletely regained his legs. 



' On coming up, we found him perfectly dead, with the 

 joints of both his fore-legs dislocated at the knee, his throat 

 perforated, and his chest and flanks much lacerated. 



' As the ground was perfectly smooth for a considerable 

 distance round the place where he fell, and not in any degree 

 swampy, it is difficult to account for the dislocation of his 

 knees, unless it happened during his struggles to rise. Buskar 

 was perfectly exhausted, and had lain down, shaking from 

 head to foot much like a broken-down horse ; but on our 

 approaching the deer, he rose, walked round him with a 

 determined growl, and would scarcely permit us to come near 

 him. He had not, however, received any cut or injury ; while 

 Bran showed several bruises, nearly a square inch having been 

 taken off the front of his fore-leg, so that the bone was visible, 

 and a piece of biu-nt heather had passed quite through his foot. 



' Nothing could exceed the determined courage displayed 

 by both dogs, particularly by Buskar, throughout the chase, 

 and especially in preserving his hold, though dragged by the 

 deer in a most violent manner. This, however, is but one of 

 the many feats of this fine dog. He was pupped in autumn 

 1832, and before he was a year old killed a full-grown hind 

 single-handed.' 



235 



