THE COURSE. 275 



altogether removed. Buskar, however, soon put the matter 

 beyond question, for raising his head, he bounded forwards, 

 and almost escaped from the person who held him. No 

 time was to be lost : the whole party immediately moved 

 forward in silent and breathless expectation, with the dogs 

 in front, straining in the slips ; and on our reaching the top 

 of the hillock, we got a full view of the noble stag, who, 

 having heard our footsteps, had sprung to his legs, and 

 was staring us full in the face, at the distance of about 

 sixty yards. 



The dogs were slipped ; a general halloo burst from the 

 whole party, and the stag wheeling round, set off at full 

 speed, with Buskar and Bran straining after him. 



The brown figure of the deer, with his noble antlers laid 

 back, contrasted with the light colour of the dogs stretching 

 along the dark heath, presented one of the most exciting 

 scenes that it is possible to imagine. 



The deei''s first attempt was to gain some rising ground 

 to the left of the spot where we stood, and rather behind 

 us ; but, being closely pursued by the dogs, he soon found 

 that his only safety was in speed ; and (as a deer does not 

 run well up hill, nor like a roe, straight down hill), on the 

 dogs approaching him, he turned, and almost retraced his 

 footsteps, taking, however, a steeper line of descent than 

 the one by which he ascended. Here the chase became 

 most interesting ; the dogs pressed him hard, and the deer, 

 getting confused, found himself suddenly on the brink of a 

 small precipice, of about fourteen feet in height, from the 

 bottom of which there sloped a rugged mass of stones. He 

 paused for a moment, as if afraid to take the leap, but the 

 dogs were so close that he had no alternative. 



At this time the party were not above 150 yards dis- 

 tant, and most anxiously waited the result, fearing from 

 the ruggedness of the ground below that the deer would 

 not survive the leap. They were, however, soon relieved 

 from their anxiety ; for though he took the leap, he did so 

 more cunningly than gallantly, dropping himself in the 

 most singular manner, so that his hind legs first reached the 

 broken rocks below : nor were the dogs long in following 

 him ; Buskar sprang first, and, extraordinary to relate, did 



