50 Recollections of the Vine Hunt. 



quently had long runs over the Dorsetshire hills ; or, 

 still better, into the Vale of Blackmore ; and that on 

 such occasions they usually killed. I learnt also that 

 the roebuck, when beaten, does not stand at bay, like 

 a stag, but runs his head into some hedge or thicket, 

 and kicks violently with his hind legs. I suppose his 

 instinct tells him that his short horns, leaning back- 

 wards, and having no point projecting forwards, could 

 not be brought to bear effectually on an enemy. I 

 did not see a roebuck killed, nor much distressed ; 

 nor was it very likely that I should, as in those large 

 woods we were continually changing, and there were 

 only two hounds in the pack that could press their 

 game hard. 



There is little to be said about Mr. Chute's horses; 

 they were very inferior to his hounds, both in quality 

 and condition. He could not afford to give high 

 prices for them, and was often content to pick up for 

 a moderate sum any young horse which he had seen 

 going tolerably well with a farmer. Accordingly, 

 they were apt to be either underbred, or undersized, 

 or in some way or other below the mark. He kept 

 six horses for himself and his two men ; a number 

 scarcely sufficient, even if the horses had been of a 

 higher quality ; but the Vine is not a severe country 

 for horses, and Mr. Chute did not generally make long 

 days. 



From early in May to the middle of August these 

 horses were turned out, day and night, without corn, 

 in the pasture between the house and the water, which 

 was never mown. This was a good pasture, sound 

 and cool for their feet, affording plenty of shade and 

 water; and where they were constantly under the 



