xxv THE SAMBUR 425 



that this stag was a devil to run, and we now seemed to be as far 

 away from the end of the hunt as ever. My only hope lay in 

 Lena ; she was fresh, and was so near him when they had entered 

 the jungle, that I thought she would hold her position in such an 

 open forest ; although she did not follow by scent, she would 

 rarely lose her game with so good a start. 



"Disappointment possessed me, and my patience had nearly 

 oozed away with sundry anathemas upon the sinewy legged stag, 

 who seemed to laugh at the speediest dogs, when suddenly I heard 

 a distant sound. Was it a dog ? Yes ; No ; but hark ! then 

 it most certainly sounded ! now again ! There was no mistake ; 

 nearer and nearer the cry rapidly approached, swelling into such a 

 chorus that there was no doubt the whole pack was close upon 

 him. On he came ; the crash of the yielding underwood ushered 

 the stag's approach, and he bounded forth upon the plain within a 

 few yards of the spot where he had so recently entered the forest. 

 Lena was leading beautifully, and as the grand stag rushed through 

 the high ferns, the bitch made a gallant spring. For the instant 

 he was down ; but shaking the bitch off, he was again free ; he 

 flew down the sloping patina towards the river with the three 

 greyhounds laying out in such style that it was even betting if he 

 could reach the bank. He neared the stream ; they were at his 

 haunches. As he took his spring from the steep bank, the grey- 

 hounds pinned him, and they splashed together into the deep 

 water in a confused heap, the dogs losing their hold through the 

 severity of the shock. 



" Once more the stag was free. He now boldly turned, and 

 faced the dogs in water so deep that he was forced to swim, and 

 was of course powerless. 



" Bran had him in a moment. Lucifer and Lena pinned him 

 likewise ; the whole pack closed up, and he was overwhelmed with 

 dogs. 



" I thought the game Avas ended, when to my surprise he 

 suddenly dived, and regularly drowned every dog from its hold. 

 Once again the gallant stag was free, and wisely turning his back 

 upon his foes, he swam rapidly down the river with the pack 

 swimming after him in full cry. 



" At length he gained a footing in the bottom, where the river 

 suddenly grew shallow ; disdaining further flight, he turned sharp 

 round, and with an angry bark he dashed straight at his pursuers, 

 striking them under water right and left. Now Lena came 

 splendidly to the front, and sprang towards him from a shallow 

 sandbank where she could obtain a footing, but the stag, fore- 



