254 THE POETRY OF WILD SPORT. 



as it may almost be called, for the greater part of the year, 

 and sometimes even fenced in, like domestic cattle, to pre- 

 vent them from straying, are consequently more numerous 

 and less really wild, though during the stalking season they 

 become just as crafty as their confreres of Cashmere. But 

 to the keen sportsman and lover of nature the pursuit of 

 the noble Cashmere stag in wilds where its protection from 

 constant danger depends entirely on its own instinct, the 

 grand and varied character of the mountains, the perfection 

 of climate, the superiority of the trophies, 1 and, last but 

 not least, there being no " march " beyond which the stalker 

 cannot follow his quarry, are all charms which more than 

 compensate for want of numbers, and make hangul-shooting 

 in Cashmere the poetry of Himalayan, or, I may venture to 

 say, of any other mountain hunting. 



Far be it from me, however, even to hint that Highland 

 deer-stalking in wild and rugged tracts of country that are 

 suitable for no other purpose is not right royal sport. In 

 fact, the Highland stag, from the open nature of the ground 

 he usually frequents, requires more skill in stalking than 

 does the Cashmere hangul. Still, there is not the same 

 romantic charm about the pursuit of game that has been 

 preserved, as there is when you know it is in every way 

 wild; and in this I feel sure all real sportsmen, both at 

 home and abroad, will agree with me. Indeed, for my own 

 part, I much prefer circumventing a few wary old black- 

 cocks in a day's walk over a bit of wild ground, to standing 

 at the hottest corner of a preserve, even were I an adept at 

 pulling down the rocketers, which I am not ; for much rifle- 

 shooting is not conducive to improving one's form at such 

 sharp practice as that. But tastes differ. 



1 Few deer, if any, except the wapiti of North America, carry finer horns 

 than the hangul, and hunting the "elk" (as it is termed) in the Rockies, I 

 found to be, during the "running" season, very similar to hangul-shooting 

 in the Himalayas ; but the ground is much steeper in the latter mountains 

 than in the former. 



