52 DEER-STALKING. 



deer and kill gallantly. Numbers of valuable dogs are, 

 however, mortally wounded in doing this, and the writer 

 is inclined to the opinion that they should not be urged 

 to go in at a stag ; their duty should rather be to run 

 them to bay, and then as long as the deer stands 

 still on the defensive, they should bark and pretend 

 to attack; but if the deer begins to move off, then 

 they should take a nip at his hind quarters, which 

 instantly brings him to the defensive again, and so they 

 should hold him at bay till the rifle comes up and 

 puts an end to it. It is hardly possible to write 

 of these things without recalling Ansdell's splendid 

 paintings and Col. Crealock's clever sketches, and it 

 would be superfluous to attempt their description 

 when these scenes have been brought in such spirited 

 and realistic manner to the eyes of all. 



In shooting at deer at bay great care must be taken 

 that the neck of the deer and the dog are not in the 

 same line ; with an active dog bounding about in 

 front of the deer's head, one will often be obliged to 

 wait some minutes before a safe shot can be delivered, 

 therefore be in no hurry to shoot ; for you would never 

 forgive yourself, and never be forgiven, if you killed the 

 dog. Those gentlemen who altogether prohibit the 

 use of dogs in their forests, do so on the ground that 

 when one is slipped at a deer the rest of the herd are 

 so much frightened and scared, and are sent so far 

 afield, that even though the wounded one be secured, 

 more harm is done to the forest than will compensate 

 for the haunches put into the larder. Should a dog 

 be outwitted by a wounded stag and miss him, he may 



