114 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



he have taken the soyle, in such sorte, that of 

 all his body you shall see nothing but his nose : 

 and I have seene divers lye so, untyll the houndes 

 have bene upon them before they would ryse.' '* 



The departure of the hounds from the West 

 was a signal for the poacher to commence his work 

 of destruction. The wild deer are not protected 

 by the game laws, and many a noble animal fell 

 by the bullet, or, wounded and injured, pined and 

 died in the wild wastes, or in the depths of the 

 woods. For some seasons no one was found who 

 would come forward and revive the sport, and 

 during that time the deer were actually exterminated 

 in many parts of the country, which once had been 

 their favourite places of resort ; and had there been 

 a long interval between the sale of the old pack and 

 the renewal of the hunt, the sport would have ceased 

 to exist altogether, from lack of game, and have 

 been remembered only as a name. 



I subjoin a list of the names of noblemen and 

 gentlemen among the subscribers to the staghounds 

 at the time at which they were sold : — 



Duke of Bedford, Earl Morley, Earl of Egmont, 

 Earl Fortescue, Lord Clinton, Lord Porchester, 

 Lord Graves, Lord Percival, Lord Borringdon, 



* ' Art of Venerie,' p. 112. 



