216 FALLEN NOBILITY. 



then the creature made a lunge forward upon them, 

 whereat his two foes speedily made good their retreat, 

 but as readily returned to the charge when his efforts 

 ceased. It was indeed a sorrowful sight ! so noble a 

 beast brought to such indignity. 



Naturalists speak, I know not with what amount of 

 truth, of a stag's shedding tears of anguish in such 

 positions, but I should little admire the spectator who 

 could himself look on such a scene unmoved, in truth 

 a pitiable example of true nobility bereft of its native 

 power and exposed to the unfeeling insults of the low ; 

 and it was with genuine sorrow that, at the suggestion 

 of Hector, I brought my rifle to shoulder, and ter- 

 minated his sufferings by a death more worthy than 

 that which otherwise awaited him from the fangs of the 

 half-ravenous dogs. We drew his floating carcase out 

 of the water, examined his horns, which were large 

 but not so handsome as those of my stag, having in 

 all but ten points; and calling off the dogs, once 

 more started for the shepherd's cottage. There we 

 arrived after half an hour's walking, and found Alister 

 seated before a large peat fire, and awaiting our arrival. 

 He had abandoned the chase as hopeless on the 

 approach of night, and made himself comfortable in 

 some warm and dry socks provided by the shepherd's 

 " gudewife." Having refreshed ourselves by half an 

 hour's rest and a cup of tea, of which the hospitable 

 woman would urge our acceptance, we turned out, and 

 an hour's walking, not improved by the increasing 

 gloom, brought us to the spot where by previous ap- 

 pointment, the dog-cart awaited us. And so we were 

 speedily at home ; and thus closed a day whose sport 

 could rarely be surpassed for interest and enjoyment. 



