WAYS OF RED DEER. 85 



and half drowned, and was long ill, but 

 ultimately recovered. Though the heather 

 burnt with such ferocity the flame was quick, 

 almost like a flash of gunpowder, and was 

 gone over in a moment ; still it was a very 

 narrow escape from a dreadful death. The 

 thing was done in a frolic, but such frolics are 

 very dangerous. Many acres of heather were 

 burned, and considerable pecuniary damage 

 caused. 



Now, it is the rarest thing to hear of a 

 stag being shot, or of any deer-poaching, 

 though the deer are so numerous and could 

 often be easily killed. They certainly were 

 shot from time to time later than the date 

 of the above anecdote, generally by small 

 formers into whose fields they had strayed 

 and committed serious damage. A farmer 

 who had shot a deer put the animal as soon 

 as possible into the Salter out of sight. 

 There are people here and there still to be 

 found who have eaten poached venison, but 

 there is not one now to be found who will 



