CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



69 



cold, drizzly night, or rather morning — it was two 

 o'clock — rendered doubly dreary by a howling wind, 

 with occasional claps of thunder and vivid Hashes 

 of lightning, I was riding home from my profes- 

 sional visits, down a deep lonely bottom, flanked 



A stag ' belling. 



on each side by woods, which even by daylight 

 appear almost interminable — the H addon bottom. 

 I was trotting slowly along ; I will not say 



' Nescio quid meditans nugarum et totus in illis,' 



for I was thinking how comfortable the light of my 

 own fireside would be after such a ride on such a 



