296 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



plougliing through the water like a steam tug, with forty or 

 more hounds swimming after liim. Thus the chase went on, 

 the stag liiding in the rushes, only to be driven out again with 

 the clamorous pack in his wake. Once he came out in open 

 water, and ran for twenty or thirty rods inland, a portion of the 

 pack right at his heels ; but fatigued and heavy with the water, 

 he saw tliis move was a mistake and returned again into the 

 pond. 



Nearly three hours were those hounds taking that deer 

 after he reached the water ; they were about two hours upon his 

 trail before that. It was dark by tliis time, but a bonfire lit up 

 the scene, and the funeral dirge was sounded, the hounds giving 

 tongue the while. When the last honours had been paid to the 

 stag and the stoi-y of the chase and the endurance of the hounds 

 had been recounted in song, we said farewell to one o€ the most 

 exciting days' chase the writer ever joarticiiJated in. 



After the two days' wild boar hunting with the Baron de 

 Dorlodot's hounds, and the day with the Marquis de Cornuher's 

 staghoimds, just described, it was arranged that we should 

 spend the fourth and last day of the writer's visit on tliis occa- 

 sion in following the staghounds of the Marquis de Chambray, 

 some twenty miles distant. 



"For," said mine host, "the IMarquis de Chambray is the 

 most noted Master of hounds in France, and his hounds are the 

 direct descendants of the Royal pack of King Louis XI. They 

 are entirely different from any other hounds, and I should not 

 like you to return without having a day with them." 



"But twenty miles is too far to go to a meet." 



"We will go in the automobile. I will wire to a hveryman 

 in the neighbourhood to meet us with a two-wheeled cart, and 

 we will see what we can, driving along the roads and lanes of 

 the forest." 



The next day, just as the clock had gone eleven, we started 

 for the meet, which was at noon and twenty miles away. 



