CHASING AND RACING 57 



understand the hunting of the wild stag on Exmoor, 

 that is true sport ; but to chase a poor deer, released 

 from a cart, until it dies of exhaustion, drowns itself, or 

 is impaled on a spiked paling, I call it, not sport, but 

 diabolical brutality." Which, of course, is a betrayal 

 of crass ignorance such as is to be expected from those 

 who, after inserting a wedge to eliminate sports — the 

 cruelty of which is obvious to the man in the street — 

 are bent on driving it home, until our primitive sporting 

 instincts are entirely exorcised, and we become a nation 

 of sentimental degenerates. 



Now what is the truth about these two forms of stag- 

 hunting ? The wild stag is pig fat and has the burden 

 of his antlers to carry. He is chevied out of his native 

 fastness by " the tufters," and having been allowed what 

 is considered sufficient law, the pack is laid on, and 

 never leaves the line until the quarry sinks in what he 

 imagines to be a friendly stream, or takes to the open 

 sea. In the first case, he is lassoed ; in the other he is 

 ** taken '' by boat. In either case his throat is slit. 

 The country will not admit of riding to hounds as fox- 

 hunters understand the term. There is no fencing 

 and precious little excitement. Now for the hunting 

 of the carted deer. He is in as perfect condition as a 

 trained race-horse. He has been deprived of his head 

 honours, and is fit to run, not for his life, but to give the 

 hounds (whom he knows and fears not) and the field a 

 good run for their money. When he is tired of the 

 journey and feeling fed up with the sport, he looks out 



