An Unexpected Visitor. 223 



lies at the very door. This may be said to be literally 

 true and not a fagon de parler, as I once killed an elk 

 that jumped through a window. It was a singular in- 

 cident. The hounds found three elk at the same time 

 on the mountain at the back of the hotel at Newera El- 

 lia. The pack divided : several hounds were lost for 

 two days, having taken their elk to an impossible coun- 

 try, and the rest of the pack concentrated upon a doe, 

 with the exception of old Smut, who had another elk 

 all to himself. This elk, which was a large doe, he 

 brought down from the top of the mountain to the back 

 of the hotel, just as we had killed the other, which the 

 pack had brought to the same place. A great number 

 of persons were standing in the hotel yard to view the 

 sport, when old Smut and his game appeared, rushing 

 in full fly through the crowd. The elk was so bothered 

 and headed that she went through the back door of the 

 hotel at full gallop, and Smut, with his characteristic 

 sagacity, immediately bolted round to the front of the 

 house, naturally concluding that if she went in at the 

 back door she must come out at the front. He was 

 perfectly right ; the old dog stood on the lawn before 

 the hotel, watching the house with great eagerness. In 

 the mean time the elk was galloping from room to room 

 in the hotel, chased by a crowd of people, until she at 

 length took refuge in a lady's bed-room, from which 

 there was no exit, as the window was closed. The 

 crash of glass may be imagined as an animal as large 

 as a pony leaped through it ; but old Smut was ready 

 for her, and after a chase of a few yards he pulled her 

 down. This is the only instance that I have ever 

 known of an elk entering a building, although it is a 

 common occurrence with hunted deer in England. 



