300 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



for the purpose of rousing up the stag from amongst 

 the ladies of his harem, and forcing him apart from 

 them, to show himself outside the wood hedge. 

 When this object has been obtained by the tufters, 

 and the deer breaks clear away, the pack is then let 

 loose from some near barn or shed, and laid on the 

 scent. Thus the first overture to staghunting is 

 decidedly tame, in comparison to finding our fox. 

 Then so sweet and lasting is the scent of the deer 

 that there is no necessity to clap hounds upon him 

 the moment he breaks covert, and little anxiety is 

 experienced as to the result of his capture. Stag- 

 hounds, with a fair start, are almost sure to keep on 

 good terms with their game afterwards, seldom 

 requiring to be lifted or cast, the only critical 

 interruption to the chase being when the deer beats 

 down a stream, which he always will do when blown 

 if water is near, and continue swimming through 

 the pool, and floundering through the shallows in 

 the middle of the river, for a mile or more at a 

 stretch, to shake off his pursuers. If he takes to 

 water up wind, and the stream is not very wide, the 

 pack run the scent on the banks, to which the 

 floating particles are wafted, where 



*' Fuming vapours rise and liang upon the gently purling brook." 



"Who has not seen terriers and spaniels following 

 the track of rat or waterfowl across pools of water 

 or rivers wide and deep ? We have often seen our 

 own hounds running as hard, or softly — per- 

 haps the latter term would be more appropriate — 

 yet swiftly over water meadows, with the spray 

 flying above and over their bodies like a cloud of 



