CHAP.THIRTY-FOUR DEERHOUNDS 



THOUGH I am by no means of opinion that 

 running red-deer with the rough deer-hound 

 is so exciting or so satisfactory a sport as 

 stalking the noble animal, and attacking him 

 in his fastnesses with the aid only of a rifle, I have some- 

 times seen runs with the deer-hounds which fully answer- 

 ed all my expectations. It much oftener happens, however, 

 that after the first start nothing more is seen of dogs or 

 deer until they are found at bay in some rocky burn or 

 stream, the whole run having taken place out of sight of the 

 sportsman. Moreover, the dogs run a great risk of being 

 disabled and injured either by the stag or by the sharp and 

 rugged rocks and stones over which they take their head- 

 long course. The deer-hound is so noble and handsome an 

 animal, that, independently of his actual and marketable 

 value, he is invariably a pet and favourite of his master, 

 so that any accident which happens to him is the more re- 

 gretted. With good management the experienced stalker 

 can generally secure his dogs from running at young deer 

 or hinds unfit to be killed. Indeed, many deer-hounds have 

 a wonderful instinct in singling out the biggest head of 

 horns in a herd of deer, and in sticking to this one, regard- 

 less of the rest of the herd. It will often happen, however, 

 that the dogs set off after some hind or young stag, who 

 leads both them and you away a long chace, unsatisfactory 

 both in its commencement and termination, disturbing the 

 ground and taking up twice as much time as would be re- 

 quired to kill the fine old ten-antlered stag, whose head 

 you covet for your lobby, and whose haunches you wish to 

 send to your English friend, to show him what size a 

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