68 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



his hind legs in the net. The poor fisherman was 

 so frightened, that he forthwith started for his cottage 

 and arrived there, as his wife said, ' quite wisht' My 

 professional services were called in aid, and I elicited 

 from him that his state was caused by fright. He 

 stated to me how he had been dragged across the river, 

 and then, with a fearful sigh, said, ' It was the devil, 

 zur ; I do know it, I seed ^xx-s, cloven foot.' I tried to 

 pursuade him that he was in error, but in vain, and 

 it was not until the next morning, when I went to 

 the spot with my patient, and showed him the tracks 

 of the deer at the place where he had left the river, 

 that I convinced him that it was not the original 

 ' Old Hornie ' who had served him the scurvy trick 

 which had so completely unmanned him. 



I have told a story reflecting, perhaps, on the 

 courage of a labouring man of one class. Let me 

 now tell one against myself, a labouring man of 

 another class, as those who know what the duties of 

 a medical man in a country town, surrounded by 

 a wild rural district, are, will think I may fairly dub 

 myself. 



The voice of a stag, if I may use the expression, 

 technically called the 'belling' or 'bellowing,' is, 

 to the ear unaccustomed to it, a most weird and 

 unearthly sound. Forty-five years ago, one dark, 



