ROE-HUNTING 189 



went the buck at a rattling pace, and the gallant little pack 

 hard on his track, making the woods echo with their enlivening 

 cry. The buck first took a line into the roughest part of the 

 ground, expecting no doubt to throw off the dogs at once, as 

 he probably had often done with sheep-dogs or curs that had 

 chased him ; but finding that his persevering little enemies 

 were not to be so outwitted, after standing still for a short time 

 to deliberate, he turned back and went straight for the swamp 

 where the guns were, but seeing the hat of one of the gentlemen 

 posted there, and not liking to cross the water directly in his 

 face, he. turned along the edge of it, half inclined to go back. 

 But just at this instant the little pack came full cry out of the 

 wood — their deep notes sounding in full chorus as they came 

 upon the open ground ; they were rather at a loss for a moment 

 or two, and I ran up to put them on the scent. The buck, 

 who had been watching us as he went quietly along, was decided 

 as to his course by seeing this, and the moment the dogs' cry 

 gave notice that they had found the scent again, he dashed into 

 the water at a place where there was no pass — it was not above 

 a hundred yards in width, and excepting two or three yards in 

 the middle where he had to swim, not deeper than a few inches. 

 The beagles came full cry on his track, and just viewed him 

 as he was cantering up a steep ascent on the other side of the 

 water ; they at once dashed in, and, encouraged by a view holloa, 

 swam through the water and took up the scent immediately — 

 away they went, till we lost all sound of them ; presently we 

 heard their notes borne down on the wind from a great distance 

 — the sound came nearer and nearer, and soon the buck appeared 

 on the top of the brae, near the water's edge, directly above 

 two of the guns, who had got together tired of waiting, and 

 were discussing the price of railway-sleepers, etc. The deer 

 stood watching them for some minutes, till the hounds came 

 within fifty yards of him in the thicket behind him ; the gentle- 

 men, hearing the dogs, ran to their respective posts, and the 

 roe came down the brae, passed between them unobserved, and 

 crossed the water again ; the dogs full cry and all together 

 immediately behind them. Hark away ! hark away ! was the 

 cry, and away they did go, in a straight line towards the sea- 

 shore. The buck (whom I constantly saw) appeared quite 

 bewildered and was evidently getting distressed ; after a twenty 



