86 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



The 'harbourer,' I may say, without being guilty 

 of exaggeration, is as important an officer in the 

 estabHshment of a pack of hounds kept for hunting 

 the wild deer, as the huntsman himself Indeed, it 

 would be well if every huntsman was to serve a 

 novitiate as harbourer, or, at all events, accompany 

 that individual on his lonely walks and rounds, and 

 learn from him lessons as to the nature and habits 

 of the deer, which he cannot so efficiently acquire 

 in any other school. It unfortunately happens that 

 every under-keeper, and loiterer about the haunts 

 of the wild deer, thinks he can act as harbourer ; 

 and many and many a time have I known a day's 

 sport spoiled by trusting to the inaccurate informa- 

 tion of these self-conceited, would-be 'experts.' 



It is said technically that a stag ' harboureth,' 

 where he makes his bed or lair. The chief duty 

 of the harbourer is to inform the master of the 

 hounds where a zvarratitable deer is to be found, 

 in the neighbourhood of the fixture, on a hunting 

 morning ; to attend the huntsman at covert 

 side, and assist him in ' rousing ' that identical 

 deer. 



Let us then for a while follow and watch the 

 harbourer while he is engaged in the performance 

 of that duty, on the effectual and ' artistic ' doing 



