CHAP XxXIv.] DEATH OF THE STAG, Prat 
close on the stag. Now and then they tried to spring on him, 
but his strength and quickness always enabled him either to 
shake them off or to elude them ; indeed after running for some 
distance he seemed rather to gain on the dogs than to lose ground. 
Finding this, they seemed more intent upon trying to tire him 
out than to seize him, and galloped along, keeping somewhat 
above him, as if to drive him into the burn, where he would 
come to bay. The stag tried again to ascend the slope, but 
could not manage it; his wind began to fail, and he turned 
straight down, gaining a little on the dogs. Crossing some 
rather wet ground they were again up to him, and he only 
escaped being pulled down by his great strength, which enabled 
him to shake off the hounds more than once. It was clear that 
his object was now to gain the burn. All three were evidently 
beginning to fail, as the chace had already lasted some time. 
Malcolm and I had now reached the burn also, having made 
for it in a straight line as soon as the dogs were slipped. As 
luck would have it, deer and hounds all passed us down the 
stream, the dogs panting, and the deer with his tongue hanging 
out and blowing like a porpoise. He soon came to bay, and the 
dogs were glad to get a rest, and lying down in the water, oppo- 
site his head, they alternately bayed at him, and rolied in the 
stream to cool themselves. We came up, and the deer im- 
mediately broke his bay, and rushing over the dogs, trampled 
them under foot, and striking Oscar a sharp blow (which luckily 
only grazed him) with his antler, took down the stream again. 
We looked round for Donald, and presently saw him crouched 
ona rock immediately above the stream, and about two hundred 
yards below us. The dogs recovered quickly, and were again 
close on the stag. He stopped two or three times for a few 
moments, turning fiercely on the hounds, and at last came to bay 
in a determined style, under the very rock where Donald was 
concealed. The next moment we saw the deer stagger and fall 
in the water, and immediately heard the report of Donald’s gun. 
Before the stag could recover, both hounds were on him, worry- 
ing at his throat like bulldogs, and after one or two efforts to 
rise, the poor animal’s head sank into the pool, which was soon 
red with the blood that bubbled up from his mouth and nostrils. 
