REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 59 



roar of laughter. This so angered the old gentleman 

 that he slammed down the window and disappeared, 

 I. suppose in search of the beadle. AVhile this was 

 going on some butcher's boys had come up, and, taking 

 a tray from one of them by way of shield, with the 

 aid of the by-standers I ran in on the stag and 

 secured him. A board, if it is long enough to cover 

 the form, is a never-failing protection against the 

 savagest stag. He evidently fears that the board is 

 solid, and that, if he charged it, he would indeed 

 " run his head against a stone wall." I used to have 

 a shield of this description made, and, when the 

 solid-looking thing moved, a stag, rather than be 

 followed by it, would jump up into the cart when 

 backed against the barn door ; and it was in this way 

 I loaded for hunting the wildest, and savagest, and 

 most difficult deer. The moment the hunting season 

 concluded, all the surviving deer were sent back 

 again to the park at Berkeley Castle, and enlarged 

 among their fellows ; and to that, as well as their 

 hardy nature, I attribute the superiority of our deer 

 over the generality of those from the royal kennels. 

 Five months in wild companionship undid all former 

 artificial maintenance, and restored their running. 

 The royal deer from season to season were kept in a 

 paddock. 



Previous to my purchasing a house adjoining the 

 park at Cranford, my sojourn was at the old Cran- 

 ford Bridge Inn, then kept, as it had been for a 

 number of years, by Adams. The neighbourhood of 

 Hampton Court and Twickenham was very gay. I 

 belonged to His Royal Highness the Duke of 

 Clarence's Club, and was the president of his Cricket 

 Club, and there were balls and dinner parties without 



