stalker
said, in a whisper, the deer was lying, and that he was not distant a
hundred yards. The whole party immediately moved forward in silent and
breathless expectation, with the dogs in front straining in the slips.
On reaching the top of the hillock, a full view of the noble stag
presented itself, who, having heard the footsteps, had sprung on his
legs, and was staring at his enemies, at the distance of about sixty
yards.

"The dogs were slipped; a general halloo burst from us all, and the
stag, wheeling round, set off at full speed, with Buskar and Bran
straining after him.

"The brown figure of the deer, with his noble antlers laid back,
contrasted with the light colour of the dogs stretching along the dark
heath, presented one of the most exciting scenes that it is possible
to imagine.

"The deer's first attempt was to gain some rising ground to the left
of the spot where we stood, and rather behind us, but, being closely
pursued by the dogs, he soon found that his only safety was in speed;
and (as a deer does not run well up-hill, nor like a roe, straight
down hill) on the dogs approaching him, he turned, and almost retraced
his footsteps, taking, however, a steeper line of descent than the one
by which he ascended. Here the chase became most interesting--the dogs
pressed him hard, and the deer getting confused, found himself
suddenly on the brink of a small precipice of about fourteen feet in
height, from the bottom of which there sloped a rugged mass of stones.
He paused for a moment, as if afraid to take the leap, but the dogs
were so close that he had no alternative.

"At this time the party were not above one hundred and fifty yards
distant, and most anxiously waited the result, fearing, from the
ruggedness of the ground below, that the deer would not survive the
leap. They were, however, soon relieved from their anxiety, for though
he took the leap, he did so more cunningly than gallantly, dropping
himself in the most singular manner, so that his hind legs first
reached the broken rocks below; nor were the dogs long in following
him. Buskar sprang first, and, extraordinary to relate, did not lose
his legs. Bran followed, and, on reaching the ground, performed a
complete somerset. He soon, however, recovered his legs, and the chase
was continued in an oblique direction down the side of a most rugged
and rocky brae, the deer, apparently more fresh and nimble than ever,
jumping through the rocks like