d stealthily towards the
combatants, with long knives gleaming in their hands. Had any one of
the wild stags retreated and observed them, they would have been in
imminent danger, but there was little fear of that. Getting up close
behind the still fighting wild deer, with one stroke of their weapons
they hamstrung the brave creatures. Having performed this deed, they
hurried away; and the latter, pressed by their adversaries, fell to the
ground, unable to move.

The keepers now called off the tame deer, who immediately obeyed,
without attempting to follow up their victory. Many of them bore
evidence of the severity of the contest by their gored chests, from
which the blood was streaming. They seemed to disregard their wounds,
however, as if proud of their success, and capered about joyously,
tossing their antlers. Meanwhile the huntsmen approached and finished
the butchery they had commenced, by cutting the throats of the noble
stags, as they helplessly lay in various attitudes on the sward, looking
up at their conquerors with those large black eyes of theirs in a way
which seemed to ask how human beings could be guilty of such cruelty.

"But how do your people manage to catch and tame the deer which have
just so well played their part?" asked Captain Burnett of the khan.

"I will show you," he answered. "We have still time, for this forest
abounds in deer, and the hunters are ready."

Riding along the edge of the forest, they came to another open space,
followed by the least injured tame deer, led by their keepers, who had
been joined by a party of men carrying some large nets. Before long
they came in sight of another herd; when the same scene as before was
enacted. The tame deer advanced, and were met by an equal number of
wild animals, with whom they were soon engaged in a desperate combat,--
the well-trained and sagacious decoys slowly retreating, facing their
foes, and keeping them engaged, as a skilful swordsman does his
adversary, while he endeavours to make him lose his temper. The clash
of their branching antlers was clearly heard as the animals fenced
furiously at each other. While they were thus hotly engaged, the
net-bearers crept round--each net borne by two men--till they got in the
rear of the wild stags. They then cautiously approached; and their
object was now evident. It was to throw the nets over the heads of the
wild deer. This was no easy task. They might either catch the antlers