CHAPTER XIV 



OLLEN AND OTHER HUNTING 



Come, shall wc go and kill us venison? 



As You Like It. 



And it would do well to set the deer's horns upon his head, for a 

 branch of victory. — As You Like It. 



Ollen does not mean a stag peculiar to the Caucasus 

 only. The Russians call all the deer genus ollen. 

 I think the variety to be found in the Kouban ought 

 really to have a special designation of its own, some- 

 thing to indicate its peculiar grace of contour and 

 magnificence of horn. I think the wonderful creature, 

 like the wapiti, according to Mr. Roosevelt, " the 

 lordliest of the deer kind in the entire world." 



Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, we know, 

 and if we didn't we should soon glean the fact from a 

 systematic perusal of the society fashion papers. Per- 

 sonally, I consider the moose far more lordly than 

 any wapiti, and the greater koodoo more majestic 

 than all. 



I asked our Prince if he had any data relating to the 

 deer of his country, anything to interest, anything 

 bearing on its undoubted resemblance to its cousin of 

 North America, and he produced a httle Russian 

 book, a sort of transmogrified Child's Guide to Know- 

 ledge. 



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