NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 53 



was staring us full in the face, at the distance of about sixty 

 yards. 



" The dogs were slipped ; a general halloo burst from the 

 whole party, and the stag, wheeling round, set off at full 

 speed, with Buskar and Bran straining after him. 



" The brown figure of the deer, with his noble antlers laid 

 back, contrasted with the light color of the dogs stretching 

 along the dark heath, presented one of the most exciting 

 scenes that it is possible to imagine. 



" The deer's first attempt was to gain some rising ground 

 to the left of the spot where we stood, and rather behind us ; 

 but being closely pursued by the dogs, he soon found that 

 his only safety was in speed ; and as a deer does not run 

 well up hill, nor, like a roe, straight down hill, on the dogs 

 approaching him he turned and almost retraced his footsteps, 

 taking, however, a steeper line of descent than the one by 

 which he ascended. Here the chase became most inter- 

 esting ; the dogs pressed him hard, and the deer, getting con- 

 fused, found himself suddenly on the brink of a small preci- 

 pice, of about fourteen feet in height, from the bottom of 

 which there sloped a rugged mass of stones. He paused for 

 a moment as if afraid to take the leap, but the dogs were so 

 close that he had no alternative.. 



" At this time the party were not above 150 yards distant, 

 and most anxiously awaited the result, fearing, from the rug- 

 gedness of the ground below, that the deer would not survive 

 the leap. They were, however, soon relieved from their 

 anxiety ; for though he took the leap, he did so more cun- 

 ningly than gallantly, dropping himself in the most singular 

 manner, so that his hind legs first reached the broken rocks 

 below : nor were the dogs long in following him ; Buskar 

 sprang first, and extraordinary to relate, did not lose his legs; 

 Bran followed, and on reaching the ground, performed a 

 complete somerset ; he soon, however, recovered his legs, 

 and the chase was continued in an oblique direction down 

 the side of a most rugged and rocky brae, the deer apparently 

 more fresh and nimble than ever, jumping through the rocks 

 like a goat, and the dogs well up, though occasionally re- 

 ceiving the most fearful falls. 



" From the high position in which we were placed, the 

 chase was visible for nearly half a mile. When some 

 rising ground intercepted our view, we made with all speed 

 for a higher point, and on reaching it we could perceive that 

 the dogs, having got upon smooth ground, had gained on the 



5* 



