3 6 CRASNOI LAIS. 



beaters and only shoot as the game passed us, thus 

 avoiding the chance of bagging a beater. The 

 hares came thick and fast, and as they cantered 

 steadily away, a large number of them were 

 bagged. When we came out on to the path there 

 were four roes, a red deer, of which I had caught 

 a passing glimpse as she crashed along the line, 

 my fox, and thirty- seven hares. My fox I say, 

 but I was doomed to find myself mistaken. It 

 seems after he had been to all intents and purposes 

 killed, he had crawled along the line and lain down 

 to die in front of the Cossack colonel. This 

 worthy gave him the coup de grace, and claimed 

 him in consequence. The red deer too. whose 

 throat a Cossack's bullet had cut as neatly as if it 

 had been done with a knife, staggered on towards 

 the colonel, and here, as its knees trembled pre- 

 paratory to lurching forward in death, that gallant 

 officer put a charge of small shot in its haunch, 

 spoilt the venison, and secured another easy prey. 

 The rule of the chase is here opposed to the Eng- 

 lish rule, and, I think, to common sense. With 

 us the man who inflicts the first wound, with the 

 Russians he who deals the last, obtains the quarry. 

 After two more beats, in which more game of 

 the same kind was bagged, we repaired to the 

 sledges at the cross rides for refreshment. I was 

 much amused by the doling out of the vodka to 

 the Cossacks. The cask was mounted on the 



