THE BAY. 21 



he cannot escape from them, he flies to the best position he 

 can, and defends himself to the last extremity. This is 

 called going to bay. If he is badly wounded, or very 

 much over-matched in speed, he has little choice of ground ; 

 but if he finds himself stout in the chase, and is pursued in 

 his native mountains, he will select the most defensible 

 spot he has it in his power to reach ; and woe be unto the 

 dog that approaches him rashly. His instinct always leads 

 him to the rivers, where his long legs give him a great 

 advantage over the deer-hounds. Firmly he holds his 

 position, whilst they swim powerless about him; and 

 would die from cold and fatigue before they could make 

 the least impression on him. Sometimes he will stand 

 upon a rock in the midst of the river, making a most ma- 

 jestic appearance : and in this case it will always be found 

 that the spot on which he stands is not approachable on his 

 rear. In this situation he takes such a sweep with his 

 antlers, that he could exterminate a whole pack of the 

 most powerful lurchers that were pressing too closely 

 upon him in front. He is secure from all but man ; and 

 the rifle-shot must end him. Superior dogs may pull him 

 down when running, but not when he stands at bay. 



It is worthy of remark, that when a cold hart (meaning 

 one that has not been wounded) takes the bay, and it is 

 broken afterwards by an unskilful approach, or by any 

 other means, the same dog or dogs which outran it at first 

 seldom succeed in bringing it to bay a second time. The 

 dogs exhaust themselves with their clamour and exertions, 

 whilst the hart is in a comparative state of rest, and 

 recovers his wind. 



I have often heard that when a hart is wounded his 



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