The Deerhound. 209 



Some few years ago the Earl of Tankerville, in 

 a series of articles he wrote for the Field, made 

 allusion to the deerhound. He said many that he 

 saw "were beautiful, swift, and powerful. Some are 

 able to pull down a stag single handed, but the 

 bravest always gets killed in the end. The pure 

 breed have keen noses as well as speed, and will 

 follow the slot of a wounded deer perseveringly if 

 they find blood. The most valued are not neces- 

 sarily the most savage, for the latter (the reckless 

 ones) go in and get killed, whilst the more wary, who 

 have taken the hint after a pug or tw^o, are equally 

 enduring, and will hold their bay for any indefinite 

 time, which is a merit of the first importance." 



Lord Tankerville continues, that he was informed 

 of a remarkable deerhound, belonging to a poacher in 

 Badenoch, that never missed a deer. In due course 

 he obtained the hound, and called it Bran. Later 

 on it saved the life of a keeper from the furious 

 attack of one of the wild bulls of Chillingham. After 

 being delivered to his new home, Bran was placed in 

 the kennel, and it was thought that the pallisades 

 with which it was surrounded were sufficiently high to 

 prevent any dog getting over them. However, Bran 

 did succeed in scaling them, and Lord Tankerville, 

 having paid his money and lost his dog, was con- 

 siderably upset, and never thought of seeing the 



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