20 THE RED DEER OE EXMOOR. 



about three or four weeks from October 8th. Then 

 every big stag has a harem, consisting of just 

 as many hinds as he can call to him by his " belling," 

 and can keep other stags from taking away from 

 him. Fierce, and occasionally deadly, are the battles 

 that then take place. Food is utterly neglected, the 

 turmoil of love and war fills the peaceful valleys and 

 moors with angry bellowings and the signs and 

 sounds of combat. Stags fence with their antlers 

 with great skill, manoeuvring so as to get in a thrust 

 with the brow antler, which is the fighting point, 

 long and nearly straight, sharp as a bayonet. A 

 thrust, delivered with the whole weight of the stag 

 behind it, is a terrible thing, as many a gallant hound 

 and more than one horse has found to its cost. But 

 the fighting stag is quick to parry, and the fight 

 consists mostly of a pushing match, horn locked in 

 horn, and with knees on the ground. At length one 

 fails, his strength gives, and, disengaging, he 

 turns to fly ere his victor can catch him. Fighting 

 mostly takes place at night, and few are the chances 

 of watching a combat ; but if one has that good 

 fortune it is well to keep out of the way of the beaten 

 deer, as he is apt to wreak his vengeance on the first 

 thing he sees. A fine ram was found one morning 

 in the field above Exe Cleeve gored to death, no 

 doubt by a stag who had rashly attempted to invade 

 the harem of a stag stronger than himself. On 

 another occasion a stag appears to have run amok 

 at the roots of a torn-up larch tree, and have hung 



