THE CHASE OF THE WILD DEER. 151 



The uniform of the Hunt is green plush. 



The nature of the country, that is, of the New 

 Forest, is well known. The Forest proper extends 

 over 60,000 acres, and consists mainly of large wood- 

 lands. These are divided on the hilltops in most 

 cases by extensive heaths, and in the bottoms by 

 green marshy valleys. The season I had chosen was 

 not quite the best for doe-hunting, as I found out 

 they did not hunt in February, that being the month 

 during which the does drop their fawns. As I had 

 to leave for India early in March, I only had the 

 month of January in which to see this pack at work. 



A WOODLAND GALLOP. 



On Monday, the 6th of January, the meet was 

 fixed for Little Stony Cross, not a great way from 

 where a monument marks the deathplace of William 

 Rufus, who met his death when engaged in this 

 very sport. The direct descendants of the peasant 

 who took the dead monarch's body to Winchester in 

 his cart still live in the neighbourhood. 



It was a soaking wet day and not one on which 

 any one would care, to sit still in the rain, so I 

 accompanied the Master and the tufters. The 

 harbouring in the New Forest is done by the Forest 

 keepers, who reported some hinds to be in the 

 neighbourhood. As the Master was anxious to have 

 a run with a red deer, he proceeded to try for them, 

 and the tufters were soon running merrily. After 

 some little time, as I was waiting outside the fir 

 wood they were in, a fine young stag bounded over 



