58 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



hunting days. An old forester or harbourer, who 

 knew and was known by most of the deer in the 

 neighbourhood of Dulverton (for he spent the 

 greater f)art of his time in watching the deer in the 

 woods and wilds), told me, and I can place implicit 

 reliance on the statement so made by him, that he 

 knew a hind which produced twin calves, both 

 males. He saw them within a very short time 

 after they were dropped with the hind, saw them 

 suck her on the day of their birth, and subsequently, 

 and was constantly in the habit of watching them 

 as they grew to maturity. The twins were always 

 together, and in their close resemblance to one 

 another very Dromios. They grew into goodly 

 stags, and at eight years old were found together 

 by the staghounds in the same wood. They ran 

 together for nearly eight miles, when they were 

 much pressed, and parted company, I believe, for 

 the first time in their lives. The pack settled on 

 one of them, ran into, and killed him. The next 

 hunting morning the survivor was harboured by 

 the old forester, who had almost witnessed the birth 

 of him and his twin brother. At his urgent request 

 the then master laid the pack on this stag, hunted, 

 and killed him, though there was many a better stag 

 in the neighbourhood. The old harbourer expressed 



