ISO CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



If, moreover, a deer has gone to water shortly 

 after passing through a wood, it not unfrequently 

 happens that the cunning animal has merely soiled 

 when he entered the stream, and then backed it 

 on his foil, and laid fast in the covert. In the 

 event, therefore, of the huntsman being unable to 

 hit the scent quickly on the water, the covert should 

 be made good before the hounds are taken away to 

 make a wide cast either up or down stream. But 

 I almost owe an apology to my readers for using 

 my own language in describing the mode of hunting 

 a deer which has taken water, when the matter has 

 been handled so much more ably and graphically 

 by the author of the ' Art of Venerie.' As a slight 

 compensation, I give that writer's own words : — 



' You shall understand that when a harte is spent 

 and sore runne, his last refuge is to the water, whiche 

 hunters call the soyle, and he will commonly there- 

 fore rather descend downe the streame than swim 

 against it, especially if the houndes run him well. 



' Understande then that if a harte be sore runne, 

 and come to a ryver or water, he will commonly 

 take it, and swymme in the very middest thereof 

 for he will take as good heede as he can to touch no 

 boughes or twygges that grow upon the sides of the 

 river, for feare lest the houndes should thereby take 



