THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
of horn were knocked clean off the antlers of the larger stag. If one stag 
had made the slightest error in receiving the charge he must have been 
killed. So the fight, which I witnessed at thirty yards’ distance, went on 
until at last both stags rolled to the ground and collapsed. I walked up 
to them, when the royal, who had recovered his wind, suddenly sprang to 
his feet and galloped away to his hinds, where he heralded the victory 
in a paean of exultation. I walked to within a few yards of the fallen twenty - 
eight pointer and then did not like to go nearer. He seemed to be dead, 
but his heaving flanks showed he was still very much alive. So I retreated, 
as I did not know what he might do if he suddenly found me so near. Pre- 
sently he staggered slowly to his feet, and with head down tottered away 
to a big oak tree and lay down. Here, the keeper told me, he lay for two 
days without moving, in a fit of sulks or weakness. That his spirit was not 
crushed for ever was proved by his having another fierce battle with the 
royal, and losing another five points off his “ tops.” But that was his last 
fight, for next year he was a thirty -two pointer and was killed for his 
wonderful head, which I now possess. 
It is a very rare thing for a stag to be killed when fighting in a wild state, 
for there he has ample room for manoeuvring or retreating, whereas in 
parks it is of common occurrence. This is especially the case when a 
fight takes place at night, as most of the fights do, near to iron rails. A stag 
then forgets his surroundings, and in endeavouring to turn gets his horns 
caught in the railings and his whole flank is exposed. Three of the most 
promising young stags in Warnham have been killed in this way, just 
when they had reached the early adult period. One particular stag (for 
the Warnham stags are my especial friends) met his death on the first of 
October last year (1912) in a night fight when his bruised body was found 
lying against the railings of the park. He was a grand twenty -seven pointer 
and only seven years old. I had hoped that he would have been something 
remarkable. 
During the rut stags eat next to nothing, and if their stomachs are 
examined they will be found to contain no food. All the large deer, how- 
ever, suck up at this season a small quantity of peat and water. I have 
seen them doing this. Caribou especially drink in quantities of black mud. 
Why they do this I cannot understand, for it can have no sustaining 
effect. 
During the rut stags love to roll and bathe in peat, and if this is not to be 
found will even cover themselves with mud and clay, so that they present 
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