44 AUTUMNS IN ARGYLESHIRE 



an outlet for escape, until death terminates his cap- 

 tivity. I believe there are still a few roe in some 

 very large parks, such as Windsor and Petworth ; 

 but in the former of these, at any rate, it is probable 

 that the roe existed long before it was enclosed, 

 and such apparent exceptions only prove the rule. 



Although they do not appreciate confinement 

 in a paddock, it is easy to tame a fawn, and it 

 makes a delightful pet until it attains to years 

 of indiscretion. A tame roe used to follow the 

 children everywhere round the old castle of 

 Duntroon, and even up the stairs and into the 

 rooms. One of his little playfellows had been 

 obliged to give up his room to a gentleman who 

 had come to stay there, and the surprise of the 

 guest was unbounded when the head and neck 

 of a roe protruded through his half-open door. 

 " Dear me ! " he said ; " game must be extremely 

 plentiful in these parts ! " 



Yet just as a kitten would be the most de- 

 lightful of pets except for its unfortunate habit 

 of growing into a cat, so a roe, and especially 

 a buck, becomes too much of a handful as a 

 pet when it grows up. Their beautiful little 

 horns are both sharp and dangerous, and a tame 

 roebuck very nearly put an old woman off the 

 road and into the Crinan Canal by its obtrusive 

 attentions. It meant no harm : it really expected 

 to get a lump of the rock-salt with which it 

 had usually been rewarded for its caresses ; but 



