46 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



deer ; the worst possible place for me, because, 

 when the time came to rush in and aid the dog, my 

 horse, tied to my wrist with a leathern thong of 

 about seven or eight feet in length, could not, so far 

 as my hand was concerned, be let go, or we should 

 have gone contrasides of one of the wooden frames. 

 In seizing the deer, the attempt of the dog was good, 

 but he missed the ear, and caught but a slight hold 

 of the cheek ; he and the deer then both fell together. 

 His hold on the cheek gave way, and in the scuffle 

 he seized the deer by the hinder leg. This hold, 

 not being the one he liked or was used to, he let 

 go, and in going at the deer he went against one 

 of the pouses, which momentary accident gave the 

 buck the chance of out- fighting, and he turned to 

 bay. Odin was at him, and when the buck charged 

 he gave way, well knowing what to do, but, alas, 

 never noticed the iron fence behind him, and went, 

 still in front of the buck, sideways against it. The 

 buck, not recognising anything before him of larger 

 or more solid substance than Odin, charged with all 

 his might, and pierced the ribs of the dog, with his 

 brow antler, against the iron rails. I saw the blood 

 gush from Odin's mouth, and he fell for a moment, 

 but, when I cheered him, took up the running after 

 the now flying buck again. The buck rejoined a 

 large herd, and I called off the dog. I saw at once 

 that I had little chance to win, and ere the dog had 

 had much time to recover, a fresh buck was singled 

 out from the herd. I doubted if my dog would be 

 able to run, but to my surprise he answered the 

 call, and gave chase, but very lame in the shoulder. 

 He reached the buck on the plain, in view of the 

 spectators, made a very good attempt at him, but 



