28 THE RED DEER. 



back like a greyhound ; he roams from point 

 to point, roaring incessantly, watching, listening. 

 The cracking of a twig, and he freezes in his tracks, 

 one hoof outstretched, antlers aloft, nostrils gaping 

 wide. He may swim to distant islands in pursuit 

 of his desires. He is prepared to trample any 

 moving thing into the earth prepared and ready 

 to match his strength with that of any rival hart. 

 He digs his antlers into the earth, tosses high 

 the ling-roots, and roars. He rolls his eyes, 

 and throws himself into his wallows, rolling 

 grotesquely and with savage energy. He emerges 

 slimy and dripping, and swings into a stiff-legged 

 stride as an answering roar rumbles over the 

 brow. 



On the other side the two rivals meet. They 

 approach with heads upraised, testing each other's 

 scent, while the hinds stand watchfully by, ready 

 to throw in their lot with the victor. The rivals 

 meet with a clash of antlers, and the moonlight 

 flashes on dilated eyes and madly ploughing hoofs 

 that cut the soft earth into furrows. Striving 

 with all their strength to outpush or outmanoeuvre 

 each other, one at length obtains the advantage 

 of a sound footing. The other is forced to his 

 knees, the leverage of his long antlers is used 

 against him, but by a terrific sidelong and back- 

 ward bound he manages to extricate himself. Again 

 the clashing antlers fill the corrie with echoes, 

 and the contest goes on, until, fairly weighed 

 in the balance together, one knows himself to 

 be the victor, and the other knows himself to be 

 vanquished. 



The latter disengages and bounds away, the 

 master-stag in hot pursuit. The vanquished hart 

 circles round the hinds, reluctant to leave them, 



