SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 299 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



The antler'd monarcli of the waste 



Sprung from liis heathery couch in haste. 



But, ere his fleet career he took, 



The dew-drops frora his flanks he shook ; 



Like crested leader proud and high, 



Toss'd his beam'd frontlet to the sky ; 



A moment gazed adown the dale, 



A moment sniff' d the tainted gale, 



A moment listen' d to the cry 



That thicken'd as the chase drew nigh." — Scott. 



Something more about staghunting and deer — Scientific huntsmen to 

 foxhounds — An example in "Will Headman. 



Admitted that a wild red deer can hold its course 

 equal in extent to that of a thorough good fox, of 

 which from our own experience we entertain no 

 doubt, still the chase of the stag and fox differ very 

 materially in some respects from the find through- 

 out to the finish. In the first place, our ears are 

 not gladdened by the merry cry of hounds, in- 

 creasing from one or two notes until the swelling 

 chorus echoes through the wood and dale, filling 

 every true sportsman's heart with raptnre and 

 delight. There is nothing of this enUvening 

 nature in staghunting. A few old hounds called 

 tufters are thrown into the wood, where a staggart 

 stag, or warrantable stag — his age ascending from 

 four to six years old — has been harboured by the 

 woodman or forester; and these tufters are used 



