REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 83 



wliicli we were to shoot, shot the match, and beat 

 them hollow. We nevertheless parted tlie best of 

 friends, for they entirely forgot, and we did not ask 

 them, to pay their stakes. 



There was a man named Baker, close nnder Harrow- 

 on-the-Hill, who had made himself very busy against 

 me : and as monev was needful to him, he was 

 one who, by notice to me, was prepared to have his 

 share. I knew his land and avoided it, but, at the 

 end of a fine run the stag made an unfortunate selec- 

 tion, crossed his fields, and with the hounds at his 

 haunches entered his farmyard and ran into his barn. 

 Having avoided his fields, a parallel lane led me up 

 to the gate of his farmyard before any one else, and 

 I saw hounds and deer all rush into the barn toge- 

 ther. To save the deer I left my horse at the gate, 

 and reached the barn-door just as three labourers 

 were about to put a lock into the staple and lock up 

 deer and hounds, who already had pulled the stag 

 down as the deer's cries testified, and to my idea 

 were about killing him. I had but just time to 

 thrust my fingers into the staple to prevent the lock 

 going in, and then, with my back to the door, I 

 begged the men to let me save the life of the stag, 

 and assured them if they did so I would pay all 

 damage. A brutal reply was all that this appeal 

 elicited ; and one of them, a very powerful man, 

 seizing my arm, endeavoured to force the lock through 

 or between my fingers ; on this, as he hurt me con- 

 siderably, I struck him over tlie wrist with my fist 

 in an endeavour to knock his hold off, wlien he 

 drew back and hit left and right at ray face. I was 

 close to the barn-door, my hand fixed in the staple, 

 and very little room given me to give way ; but bad 



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