LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 87 



also took many pounds weight of fine trout, as well 

 as three salmon, from the Annan, which runs for several 

 miles through this beautiful estate. The Eaehills venison 

 used to be the finest in the kingdom, and it is sad to 

 think this splendid herd of fallow deer no longer 

 exists, the exigencies of modern farming, combined 

 with the absence of any fenced park, necessitating their 

 removal. The Raehills bucks were savage fighters, and 

 on several occasions during my visit, directed to the spot 

 by the clashing of the horns, I was a hidden witness of 

 some fierce combats. Round after round was fought, 

 during which thrusts were given and parried with all 

 the quickness and grace of a couple of Parisian fencing 

 masters. Then, after this preliminary skirmishing, the 

 combatants, getting their horns well locked, would set 

 to work like two Cornish wrestlers, to struggle with each 

 other till the grip broke. Time after time this would be 

 repeated, until one buck, feeling he was getting the 

 worst of it, would turn tail and bolt, hotly pursued by 

 the victor. Every season these duels were fatal to one 

 or two of these fine stags, and, from what I witnessed 



