SHOT AT A ROE. 169 



shot. Just as they had come close to me they 

 headed back ; and then, nearly two hundred yards- 

 behind me, going over the heather to the woods 

 whence she had broken, I beheld the beautiful little 

 doe. From Coco's back I took deliberate aim and 

 shot at her — the barrel loaded with ball — but with- 

 out effect. On this I gave the " gone away " again, 

 and out came the six hounds, a very neat black pied 

 bitch, from the Royal Kennels at Ascot Heath, lead- 

 ing; but being short of work, from having been shut 

 up, she was as fat as a pig. Right merrily I cheered 

 her on ; and just as we got into the foiled ground 

 again, my three friends, Jules, Maurice, and Lu- 

 dovic, were coming out, having heard and under- 

 stood my horn. Had they been three minutes 

 sooner they would have met the doe upon the open 

 heather. We then ran for some time in the foiled 

 woods, and Maurice got another shot at the roe and 

 hit her again, when she went away to fresh ground; 

 and, to our intense delight, M. d'Anchald came up 

 wath the rest of the hounds. Oh, then, the doe being 

 wounded, and three parts beaten, there was a merry 

 cry I The old French hounds bustled along, expect- 

 ing an easy victory, as well as they could; and the 

 old worn-out foxhound bitches, particularly Blossom, 

 raised their bristles and got young again. The 



