144 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



The March buck-hunting also provided sport, one 

 run — a five - mile point — ending with the death of 

 the finest Forest bucks I have ever seen ; whilst 

 another was noteworthy from the fact that the deer 

 left the Forest, and was killed near the hamlet of 

 Blissford. But April was to provide better things. 

 On the 9th of that month the deer ran a most 

 unusual and extraordinary line. The pack was laid 

 on in the Ornamental Drive, Bhinefields, and after 

 a check among fresh deer at Knightwood, went on 

 by Jones' Cottage, and nearly to Parkhill House. 

 From this place the deer (it was a pricket, by the 

 way) had turned left-handed, and went through a 

 string of coverts to the railway line just below 

 Beaulieu Eoad Station, where he lay down in the 

 bog. When hounds hunted up to him he jumped up 

 in view, and went down along the railway fence, 

 deer and hounds swimming the Bishop's Ditch. A 

 right-handed turn towards Woodfidley brought the 

 end just as he reached the first trees. 



A week later we were treated to another great 

 run. A good buck was found and pushed out of 

 Broadley, and made a three-mile point to Rhinefields 

 Lodge. Hence he bent right - handed, going two 

 miles more to Whitley Wood. After a short check 

 here he ran to Gritnam Wood, where hounds 

 momentarily checked again, and then made another 

 two and a half mile point to Millyford Bridge. At 

 the well-known deer-crossing at Millyford hounds 

 were stopped, having covered quite nine miles in fifty 

 ■minutes. It appears that some does had been seen 

 in front of them, but nevertheless hounds should 

 have been trusted, for after much fruitless casting a 

 holloa announced the fact that the buck was lying 



