248 ON THE GRAMPIAN HILLS. 



and bending sharp to the left, go at a racing pace in 

 the direction of the King William publichouse, then, 

 turning again to the left, they ran away in the direc- 

 tion of the Roden, which was crossed with considerable 

 difficulty, the banks being steep and rotten. 



Afterwards, leaving White Roothing Church on 

 the right, they make for Mann Wood, passing through 

 that cover on to Bury Wood, where the hind took to 

 a piece of water on an adjoining farm, after a splitting 

 run of thirty-five minutes without a check over this 

 stiff country. After some delay, the quarry, having 

 refreshed herself in the pool, emerged from her bath 

 and went away again for twenty minutes, running a 

 circle, and making for a farmstead, where she ought to 

 have been taken, if it had not been for the apathy 

 displayed by two or three horsemen, who seemed only 

 to care for the gallop, taking no interest in the deer or 

 the sport a class of sportsmen whose room is better 

 than their company. This was a bad compliment to a 

 good master, and a word on the subject should be 

 sufficient to put a stop to such malpractices, in the 

 interest of legitimate riders. Finally, after running 

 for some ten minutes longer, the hind was taken in 

 the open, being, after some little trouble, secured and 

 placed in safety. Thus ended one of the best runs of 

 the present season. Amongst those in the first flight 

 were the Master, Messrs. Collinson Hall, Tabor, 

 Price, Colley, Usborne, Christie, Garrett, and the two 

 officers from Colchester, who rode well throughout 

 this clipping chase. Anyone who likes stag-hunting 

 should try a day or two with Mr. Petre, and he will 

 find, in my opinion, no better country than the 

 Roothings. 



