I04 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



had brought from Bramshill. After a great deal of dodging 

 about she succeeded in driving him single-handed into a small 

 wayside pond near Elvetham, when we took him. Ever after- 

 wards she always tried to sneak on whenever hounds were 

 stopped. I never discovered the qualities of heart and 

 head — except I suppose that they could be easily stopped 

 — which recommended particular hounds for this duty ; but 

 particular hounds were always selected by the huntsman. 

 Cheerful and another great favourite of mine, a bitch called 

 Notion, also an adept, were exceptions to what I have just 

 said about hounds not seeing and realising a deer. It was 

 always difficult to keep either of them with the pack. In any 

 difficulty, whether indeed they saw the deer or not, they were 

 always rushing forward, longing to show off and be of use. 



But in all these seasons of perplexity, unless you know 

 from experience that his behaviour is mere self -consciousness, 

 I am sm'e that the best thing to do is to make up your mind, 

 and not be too long about it, that there is nothing to be got 

 out of the deer. Leave him to his devices, waste no more 

 time, send for the deer-cart and turn out a second deer. 

 Although, as I have already said, I did not like being beaten 

 by a deer at the end of a good run, any legitimate excuse for 

 establishing an outlying deer is to be welcomed. One thing 

 must alw^ays be borne in mind. It looks best, and, indeed, 

 is best in all emergencies, to show no symptoms of hesitation, 

 to appear to take whatever happens as matters of course and 

 calculation, and to reject all advice. 



I said just now that hounds did not seem to realise a deer 

 at times. It is curious too that in the case I have just out- 

 lined, that of a fresh deer cantering along in the middle of 

 the pack — I mean a deer that has not given anything like a 

 run— hounds do not try to get a hold of him. I have no 

 distinct recollection of ever having seen a hound in such a 

 case jump up at a deer, or even snap with any determination 



