154 EEMINISCEIS^CES OF A SPOETSMA^-. 



in the Scotch Grreys) I resided during part of a summer 

 at the country house of a gentleman, in whose family I 

 boarded, in the Duchy of Brunswick, for the purpose of. 

 learning the Grerman language. In the vicinity were 

 extensive forests belonging to the Duke of Brunswick. 

 I soon made the acquaintance of one of the Duke's 

 jagers (gamekeeper), whom I found on all occasions 

 particularly civil and obliging. One evening the jager 

 called on me, and informed me that if I could be at his 

 house the next morning at five o'clock, he would go with 

 me, accompanied by another gamekeeper, each having 

 their large rough bloodhound in slips, to the spot where 

 he had wounded a stag with his rifle that evening. I 

 was punctual to the time, and found the keepers ready 

 to start with their dogs for the forest. Wlien we arrived 

 at the place where the jager had wounded the stag, they 

 examined the ground closely with the dogs to discover 

 some drops of blood. Having succeeded in this, the 

 dogs, still in their slips, went on tracing the deer, always 

 by its blood. After pursuing our route slowly for about 

 two miles, we arrived at part of the forest where the 

 underwood was of three or four years' growth, and the 

 blood very fresh. The jagers then felt certain that the 

 stag, from exhaustion from the wound he had received, 

 had lain down among the adjacent cover. My friend the 

 jager, having directed me to a rising ground a short 

 distance from a sheet of water in the valley, told me 

 that the stag when roused by the dogs would certainly 

 make for the water ; and letting them out of their slips, 

 they rushed full speed into the cover. I was now all 

 expectation and excitement, from the hope that the 

 wounded stag would soon make his appearance. This 

 hope was shortly realised, for the noble animal came 



