274 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



of yours will run down my life-boat in this gale." "Steer 

 ahead, Tom, for this crazy old brig wont tack, and she is full 

 three sheets in the wind already ; so look out for squalls." 



The hustling and bustling and jostling against each other, 

 and the cracks that were met with against the limbs of the 

 trees, formed a very amusing overture until the play began, 

 which it very soon did, by a deer being found ; and away we 

 went right over the open and across a morass, which was only 

 passable at certain jilaces. The scene that ensued baffles 

 description ; in every direction were seen horses galloping 

 away without their riders, numbers floundering in the bog, 

 some scrambling through to the other side, and several nearly 

 buried. Following my leader and host, who being then master 

 of the New Forest hounds, and acquainted with all the safe 

 passes, we soon left the majority of our large field in the rear, 

 to settle their differences as best they might. The hounds now 

 divided. Davis went with one lot ; my friend, with one whipper- 

 in, myself, and about thirty others, kept with the other half of 

 the pack. After running hfty minutes at a good pace, our deer, 

 a four year old, lay down in some high gorse bushes on the top 

 of a hill. 



The hounds were stopped, as it v/as intended to take the deer 

 alive. " Now, gentlemen," said the whipper-in, " if you will 

 only draw up round, I will creep under the gorse and hobble 

 him." " Leave that to me," I said ; " you attend to your work." 

 I drew all the horsemen round in a circle, with their horses' 

 heads to the gorse. This was readily done. "Now, gen- 

 tlemen," I said, "don't be nervous, but stand firm together ; the 

 deer is only a young one, and will not hurt you ; he is, more- 

 over, so blown, that he cannot jump over your heads." All 

 promised compliance, whilst I went to help the whipper-in. 

 Tickling a trout is one thing, but tickling a wild deer is alto- 

 gether another affair. Our lord of the forest did not fancy this 

 sort of thing at all — his motto evidently being noli me tangere. 

 At the first touch of the whipper's-in hand he bolted upright 

 out of the gorse, and bounded into the ring. Consternation 

 was depicted on many a face. "Hold hard, gentlemen," I 

 shouted, " he can't hurt you ; hold tight together one minute, 

 and I will hamper him." It would not do. the ring was broken 

 in a trice. Threes about, right and left wheel being performed 

 at the shortest possible notice, and in double-quick time. I 



could not forbear a as our deer bounded away into the 



forest. We were just laying the hounds on again when an 

 order arrived from head-quarters to stop our detachment, Mr. 

 Davis having been more fortunate in securing the deer he had 

 followed, thus ended my first stag-hunt. 



