THE CHASE OF THE HIND. 175 



through the bog, on to the road we can see them run- 

 ning below and turning back towards the two gates 

 where we met. Here they come up, a stag and hind, 

 close by the fence, not far apart, but still separate, with 

 a hound hard after each. *' Romulus " is stopped from 

 the stag and transferred to the line of the hind with 

 *' Barrister." The stag not knowing of the change 

 hurries on full speed, and Arthur, looking at him, 

 critically remarks, "He couldn't go on much longer 

 at that pace with the old hound so close to him." But 

 we are not concerned with stags now, and can let this 

 flurried old gentleman make his way to the water in 

 peace. What we now want are the rest of the tufters. 

 Here come two more hinds and a male deer, but no 

 hounds; then a single hind with "Restless" in hot 

 pursuit ; and a little to the right a yearling, evidently 

 distressed, with "Challenger" running in view. Oh, 

 Challenger, Challenger, you hoary-muzzled old sinner! 

 you, who have been spared to your sixth season, know 

 perfectly well that is a yearling you are hunting, and 

 that you have no business to hunt yearlings. The 

 truth is you were hoping to pull down that little thing 

 in the next stream and have a venison feast. But it 

 won't do. The old hound is stopped, and " Restless" 

 also ; and hearing the horn as Arthur gallops after 



