, ' ' AT DAGGERS DRAWN 55 



females hardly less anxious to mate than himself. One 

 after another is speedily added to his harem, but not 

 without conflict. For sooner or later he catches the call 

 of another stag in like case. A jealous fury at once takes 

 possession of him, and the call, intended as a message to 

 mateless hinds, becomes translated into a challenge to fight 

 for the mates possessed. Each of the now infuriated 

 challengers makes all haste to come to blows, and speedily 

 they are rushing headlong on one another to meet in a 

 crash of antlers. Then follows a test of strength, a sort 

 of tug-of-war reversed, for each strives to push the other 

 to his knees, and succeeding, to deal a deadly sideways 

 thrust at the kneeling adversary's heart with the spike- 

 shaped brow-tines. This attempt, however, is rarely 

 achieved. Yet not seldom such encounters become a 

 duel to the death, and one in which both die, for in the 

 remorseless tilt at one another the antlers of one may 

 spring apart, and then close in on those of the other. 

 Once this happens, it seems to be rare indeed that they 

 can be extricated from this close embrace. With heads 

 thus locked, they sway, and twist, and tug, not now for 

 the mastery, but for life itself. But as the hours run they 

 become more and more exhausted by their efforts, weaker 

 and weaker from loss of food and rest, till finally death 

 releases both. 



A male having once succeeded in forming a harem, 

 will commonly contrive to repeat his success year after 

 year, withstanding all comers. But sooner or later his 

 vigour wanes and he is ousted by another and younger 

 male. Not else would the stamina of the race be pre- 

 served. It is considered a moot point, however, whether 

 physical strength and sexual potency run at the same pace ; 

 for it is believed by some that a stag will often contrive 



