THE STAG. 65 



dying day. And long after tie has ceased to wander 

 through his wooded realm, he will be remembered and 

 talked about by the survivors ; and the story will again 

 be told of how he came by his droll cognomen ; and the 

 names of those will then be rehearsed who that day were 

 present, and, in a sadder tone, of those good comrades 

 who since then have gone to their rest. 



^* And did you see no stag yesterday?" may be the 

 question put to one returned from an unsuccessful 

 excursion. 



" Yes, I fell in with a troop of deer on the glade near 

 the beech-wood, and there was a splendid stag with 

 them." 



" What number of points had he ?" 



'* That I cannot say exactly, as he was rather far off; 

 but I should say sixteen at least." 



" Were his antlers very high, and rising in a straight 

 direction upwards, instead of branching apart ?" 



"Yes." 



"And the beam was dark and almost black, and the 

 points were all extremely long ?" 



" Yes, very long, but not particularly thick." 



" And did you remark if the crown was peculiar, one 

 of the long points being bent sidewards in a somewhat 

 strange manner ?" 



" Yes, that I observed ; for as all the other sprays 

 F 



