302 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



hounds bred by ourselves would run either by nose 

 or view ; but the terriers were so wonderfully rapid 

 in their movements_, and possessed of such extra- 

 ordinarily good scenting qualifications, that in a few 

 moments after been thrown Id to the largest covert 

 they struck upon the track of a deer, and rousing 

 him up with tooth and nail from his lair, he was 

 obliged immediately to fly or die, since from their 

 large size — too large to run with the foxhounds, but 

 of the same blood — they would spring at a deer's 

 throat, and thereby hang on until the deerhounds 

 came to assist them. We had, however, a some- 

 what singular method of capturing our deer without 

 much injury. The dogs were trained to run at the 

 ears and no other part ; so that when a couple of 

 these hounds, lusty and powerful, ran up alongside 

 of their blown deer, one on either side, he was 

 soon pulled down, and held by the ears until we 

 reached the spot. 



Handling even a fallow buck with full honours 

 upon his head is far more ticklish work than hand- 

 ling a live fox ; but grappling with a stag of the red 

 deer species involves a terrific encounter, little short 

 of bearding a lion in his den. Everybody has 

 heard of " taking a bull by the horns," yet we have 

 never seen the man who would do it when the 

 animal was infuriated. We have had numerous 

 encounters with common deer, and many rollings 

 and tumblings in consequence, being often kicked 

 over upon our backs, although from physical power 

 able to overcome them at last; but with the red 

 deer in the plenitude of his strength we have found 



