32 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



again, for the stream being strong luckily, he had been earned 

 some few yards away. Ben was off his horse, and evidently 

 looking at the condition of Smoker, when, as I came up, I 

 called out " to get the dog up or he would be killed." I do 

 not think then that there was more than three yards between 

 the dog and the stag, as the dog came on to the fight much 

 exhausted against the stream. The deer's ears lopped forward, 

 he shut his mouth, twisted his tongue round his lip, and churned 

 his teeth, those invariable signs of mischief, and was on the eve 

 of another charge, when Ben jumped bang in on the dog and 

 clasped him in his arms. At the moment I expected to see the 

 stag send his antlers into my servant as well as Smoker ; but, as 

 if astonished at the act, the deer stood stock still, staring at his 

 foes as they rolled in the stream before him. We saved Smoker 

 and secured the stag. I shall never forget the pain my poor 

 favourite suffered all that night in my room at Benham. The 

 horn had pierced the back, just missing the backbone, and every 

 motion caused the dog the most excruciating pain. Sir George 

 Berkeley, who was then at Benham, was as kind to my favourite 

 as he would have been to me or any one that had been hurt ; 

 and, thanks to his kindness, and the facilities offered to me in 

 my attendance on Smoker, the dog recovered. A year or two 

 following, Smoker, in company with two other of my deer 

 greyhounds, Smut and Lion, was set to catch a large stag in 

 Hampstead Park, who again ran him through the shoulder, but 

 eventually was killed by Smoker, ere I could save him. The 

 dog was roused into a state of fury, and, instead of the ear or 

 forearm, which latterly was a favourite hold of his, he seized the 

 stag by the throat and injured the windpipe. Lion was after- 

 wards killed by a stag, and so was Smut. The wound that 

 killed the latter proves the severity of a stag's kick. The hind 

 foot struck her flush on the quarter or great muscle of the 

 thigh, and, large as the stag's foot was, it went, like a half- 

 exploded cartridge, clean through the limb. The integuments 

 were so torn and lacerated that she died from mortification. 

 Smut had been a great favourite with my stablemen, I believe 



