i6 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



' Nimrod,' who, after a visit to Devon and Somerset 

 in 1824, gave his experiences of wild deer-hunti^ng 

 to the world in some papers written for and 

 published in the Sporting Magazine ; and I make 

 no apology to my readers for taking from one of the 

 articles the following extract : — ' In more chivalrous 

 times, or, I should rather say. in those times when 

 the natural ebullition of feeling was less controlled 

 by the forms and ceremonies of society than it is at 

 the present day, the head of the deer, after a good 

 run, was produced in the evening with a silver cup 

 in his mouth, out of which the favourite toast was 

 drunk. The custom is still kept up by the huntsman, 

 whippers-in, farmers, and others, and the operation 

 is performed in the following manner. The cup is 

 placed in the stag's mouth, secured with a cord to 

 prevent its falling out. When it is filled to the 

 brim, the person who is to drink it holds a horn in 

 each hand, and brings it to his mouth, when he must 

 finish it at one draught, and then turn the head 

 downwards, bringing the top of it in contact with 

 his breast, to convince his companions that he has 

 drunk it to the dregs, otherwise he is subject to a 

 fine.' He adds, ' In days still more gone by, a fine 

 was imposed on a man who left the field before the 

 deer was killed.' 



