CHAP, xxxiv.] DEATH OF THE STAG. 271 



close on the stag. Now and then they tried to spring on him, 

 but his strength and quickness always enabled him either to 

 shake them off' or to elude them ; indeed after running for some 

 distance he seemed rather to gain on the dogs than to lose ground. 

 Finding this, they seemed more intent upon trying to tire him 

 out than to seize -him, and galloped along, keeping somewhat 

 above him, as if to drive him into the burn, where he would 

 come to bay. The stag tried again to ascend the slope, but 

 could not manage it ; his wind began to fail, and he turned 

 straight down, gaining a little on the dogs. Crossing some 

 rather wet ground they were again up to him, and he only 

 escaped being pulled down by his great strength, which enabled 

 him to shake off' the hounds more than once. It was clear that 

 his object was now to gain the burn. All three were evidently 

 beginning to fail, as the chace had already lasted some time. 



Malcolm and I had now reached the burn also, having made 

 for it in a straight line as soon as the dogs were slipped. As 

 luck would have it, deer and hounds all passed us down the 

 stream, the dogs panting, and the deer with his tongue hanging 

 out and blowing like a porpoise. He soon came to bay, and the 

 dogs were glad to get a rest, and lying down in the water, oppo- 

 site his head, they alternately bayed at him, and rolled in the 

 stream to cool themselves. We came up, and the deer im- 

 mediately broke his bay, and rushing over the dogs, trampled 

 them under foot, and striking Oscar a sharp blow (which luckily 

 only grazed him) with his antler, took down the stream again. 

 We looked round for Donald, and presently saw him crouched 

 on a rock immediately above the stream, and about two hundred 

 yards below us. The dogs recovered quickly, and were again 

 close on the stag. He stopped two or three times for a few 

 moments, turning fiercely on the hounds, and at last came to bay 

 in a determined style, under the very rock where Donald was 

 concealed. The next moment we saw the deer stagger aud fall 

 in the water, and immediately heard the report of Donald's gun. 

 Before the stag could recover, both hounds were on him, worry- 

 ing at his throat like bulldogs, and after one or two efforts to 

 rise, the poor animal's head sank into the pool, which was soon 

 red with the blood that bubbled up from his mouth and nostrils. 



