192 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



kennel, nothing having been left of poor ' Gambler ' 

 save his head. In the course of the day, Mr 

 Frederick Knight, who had two horses out, found 

 an opportunity, after the first burst, of changing, 

 and ordered his groom to take his first horse home 

 at once over the moor, and by no means to go near 

 the river, above which there was a rocky path on 

 the face of some rugged and precipitous cliffs. This 

 order the servant disregarded, and ' clouded by his 

 own conceit,' and anticipating that the deer would 

 soon go to water, in the hope of seeing some of the 

 sport, he made for the very path against which he 

 had been warned. In part of his calculations the 

 man had not erred. He had scarcely reached the 

 cliffs, and was leading the horse along the track, 

 when the spirit-stirring sound of hounds in full cry 

 was heard. The horse broke from his attendant's 

 hand, rushed impetuously forward, and missing his 

 footing, fell headlong into the rocky bed of the river 

 Lyn, and was killed on the spot. The reader may 

 imagine Mr Knight's feelings when he found that 

 his gallant and valuable steed had thus fallen a 

 victim to the folly and disobedience of the groom. 



Until the ancient sport of the country ceases to 

 exist by the complete extinction of the wild deer, 

 the more modern expedient of turning out a ' calf 



