FOREST OF BLAIR. 297 



down, or grazing, he uses all methods to 

 gain the wind of them, approaching with the 

 utmost caution till within a hundred or six 

 score yards, he fires from a rifle gun, and 

 being a capital marksman seldom misses his 

 aim ; as the herd passes by his servants sup- 

 ply him with a second and third piece, and 

 he frequently kills a hart at each shot 

 When they are not to be come at in the wide 

 and open valleys, his men are sent round in 

 all directions where the deer can catch the 

 wind of them, and on sight, or winding of 

 them, the deer return down wind, where his 

 grace, taking advantage of the track with the 

 wind in his favour in the time they drive by 

 him, can fire the three rifle guns in one 

 minute, and will hit them on full speed from 

 one hundred to one hundred and fifty yards 

 distance. When the deer is wounded, in a 

 general way, he leaves the herd, or rather the 

 other harts force him out as soon as he begins 

 to bleed freely. The man who leads the grey- 

 hounds, by a signal from his grace's hand, un- 

 couples one or both of them, when they come 



