IV 



A Day's Roebuck Driving 



"Si forte fugacem 

 conspexit capream." 



VERGIL'S ^Endd t x., lines 724, 725. 



IN the early autumn, when the regular roebuck 

 shooting season is over when the bucks 

 have begun to wander about in search of 

 food, and have ceased to haunt one particular place 

 for several consecutive evenings there are generally 

 two or three days' driving on every Bohemian estate. 

 Probably some out-of-the-way tract of woods has 

 not yielded up its proportion of game there are no 

 favourite feeding places there, perhaps, and the cover 

 is too thick to make stalking a success ; so a drive 

 is necessary to thin down the bucks. 



A drive does not mean a slaughter far from it. 

 Your roebuck is a wily animal, and strongly objects 

 to be driven. He seems to realize at once that the 

 danger lies in front, and not from the line of beaters. 

 The does and the very young and green bucks may 

 go forward, but not the old veteran. 



