SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 803 



it hopeless to contend head to head, or hand to 

 hand, totidem verbis, we could not hold him, even 

 when the bracelet had been tightened above his 

 hocks to prevent his escape. Fight and rake with 

 his antlers he would, giving more than a welcome to 

 all comers on, until a lasso was thrown over his 

 head, or a bullet sent through it. 



Our last encounter with a stag of this kind we 

 have good cause to remember. He was brought to 

 bay, after a long chase, in a small brook, by a couple 

 of deerhounds fierce and resolute as tigers, and one 

 of them, our greatest favourite, in endeavouring to 

 pull him down, was struck through and through her 

 body by his spike. Infuriated by this f^xtal attack 

 upon the truest and best deerhound we ever 

 possessed, we rushed furiously upon her destroyer, 

 and seized him by the horns. He hurled us as he 

 would a child from him upon the bank. We knew 

 his strength then, and springing up, resolved to 

 meet it. Once more with renewed vigour and 

 exasperation we returned to the charge, and grappling 

 with him in right earnest, sent the knife through 

 his throat, which quickly settled the combat. 



Red deer generally — the stags I mean — are fierce 

 and savage, particularly in the rutting season ; the 

 only exception to this rule in our experience being 

 an aged one presented to us with other red calves 

 by the grandfather of the present Duke of Beau- 

 fort, when we w^re also in our calfhood or boyhood, 

 and by whom, being then Lord-Lieutenant of the 

 county, we had also the honour of being appointed 

 a magistrate at a very early date. This deer, which 



