Story of two Stags, 151 



He expressed Hs regret, too, that Mr. Smith 

 was about to resign the Pytchley, and urged 

 him to come to Scotland to hunt with his 

 hounds. His Grace rode twenty-eight miles 

 to the meet the next day, for the purpose of 

 telling the men what a run he had had; which 

 he did, to their no small chagrin. 



On one occasion the meet was at Boughton 

 House, the seat of the Duke of Buccleuch, 

 when, just before the throw-off, the keeper 

 requested Mr. Smith to come with him to see 

 a curious matter. It seemed that one of the 

 watchers had that morning seen eight feet of 

 deer sticking up out of the water; and when 

 with assistance the two stags were got on 

 shore, their horns were so tightly intertwined 

 that it was impossible to part them. They 

 were supposed to have been fighting, when 

 one drove the other into the water, and was 

 thus drawn in himself. They certainly pre- 

 sented a curious appearance as they lay dead 

 on the grass. It is believed that the heads 



