THE WILD STAG ON EX MOOR. 233 



knew. Hard indeed to be swooped npon by these sea-vultures, 

 when fighting already an uphill battle against odds. But ho 

 will not give in yet. Turning shore wards he strikes out des- 

 perately for the breakers, whence are already issuing a dozen 

 couple of gleaming heads — with tongues more noisy now than 

 they were ever heard from heather and wood. Up through the 

 quiet height rises every cry of hound, every cheer of the com- 

 peting oarsmen, as plain to the groups on the cliff as though 

 30 feet, not 1300, intervened between the latter and the exciting 

 (not gladdening) scene below. Now he doubles as they near 

 him, heads once more for the sea, and gains two boats' lengths 

 an the unavailing fight. Again the leading boat is on him ; 

 again bow rises to fling the noose ; and again a quick turn 

 scores against the thrower. The white heads of the hounds dot 

 the sea in the wake of the boats, as all three crews now close for 

 an effort, and from three sides dart upon the hapless beast. It 

 needs not the shouts of the captors to tell they have conquered ; 

 nor can one feel a spark of pleasure that so grand an animal has 

 fallen in a manner little befitting his powers or his proper destiny. 

 However, he took the sea, as Reynard goes to ground : and 

 either meets with little sympathy or indulgence, on seeking so 

 mistaken a refuge. Secured by a rope round his horns the stag 

 was hauled ashore. The huntsman proposed to keep him to 

 turn down before the young pack ; but it was decided that veni- 

 son should be his future state — and venison, accordingly, he 

 became (a form of expression which must be allowed to take the 

 place of further detail ; for, remember, this was no exciting 

 finish to a long chase, when the softest-hearted of sportsmen is 

 bloodthirsty and unsparing, but a matter of business-like 

 expediency such as appeals not to the amateur). He was a 

 splendid stag of thirteen points — his weight, moreover, being 

 something enormous, and possibly accounting in some degree 

 for the aversion he displayed to facing the open. 



