141

-"WHERE THE HOUNDS DIVIDE D.”

ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY THE LATE J. BATEMAN.

Oh! Nimrod, Vyner, Mr. Smith,

That man who feels as foxes feel,
Say, can you bear a moment with

This rather curious bit of steel?

I know you'll say it's very wrong

Such tricks as these to celebrate :
Like a bad moral to a song,

Just stating what it should'nt state.

For mortal man, though prone to sin,

Will often need some telling how ;
But lead the way, and he'll begin

His sail with Mischief at the prow.
And Imitation-low-lived vice !-

Of bold-bred Wrong the younger brother,
Stoops to the copy in a trice,

As one fool often makes another.
All this indignantly you'll think,

As opening on the print before you ;
Yet, ere that thought shall reach the brink

Of utterance, we will say it for you.
As when the well-versed advocate

Sees in his case the weaker part,
Himself on that will sure dilate,

And soften down its first-felt smart :

So, oracles of pace and scent,

Judge not your sport by us derided,
But take as joke a joke that's meant,

And curse not Where the hounds divided.”

Boys will be boys-larks will be larks

The best of men is sometimes “ riled ;"
And crossing roads with yokel“ Harks-

To holloa !” make hounds rather wild.

But one plea more ; and only this

Shall here by us be sung or said :
Remember, if there's aught amiss,

" De mortuis" —poor Bateman 's dead !

DE ER STALKING.

BY BRAN.

Towards the latter end of last season, having received permission from a friend to try my fortune on his moors, which are situated in a wild and romantic glen, not very far from the famous Black Mount, and also having a week at my disposal, I found myself under the hospitable charge of the landlady of the little inn where I had directed my companion on all wild excursions, hight Donald, to meet me with my gun and a couple of brace of well-blooded deerhounds. To my great satisfaction he and they arrived safely the same evening, and after a hearty welcome and good supper for both man and beast, all retired to rest, fully intent on rousing the “antlered monarch of the waste' the following day. Three hours before sunrise the indefatigable Donald wakened me from dreams about Damhan Mhor-Anglicè, big stags—with horns of which no eye could count the tines (I don't think Donald ever sleeps when there are chances of deer), and donning the “ garb of old Gaul,” we took our way to the hill, calling, as we passed their houses, for two men, of the names of Ian and Duncan (keepers), who knew the ground, and were to assist us during our chase. Being joined by them, onward we went, and shortly after daylight had appeared found ourselves climbing the first hill, beyond which deer might be found. But all, alas! was blank. Many and many a height and hollow did we cross—carefully and anxiously did we examine the numerous corries as they gradually opened to our view--but in vain were eyes and spy-glass employed ; four o'clock came, and neither horn nor hoof had met our sight. We were walking along the side of a large round hill, Ian and Duncan leading, and Donald and myself following them at twenty yards' distance, when a sudden dash at the leash from one of the dogs—for we had no hope of deer where we then were—drew our attention to a small plain below us, and there stood at least thirty or forty of the noble creatures for which we had been toiling all the day. Alas! we had come so suddenly upon them, that they had seen us as soon as we saw them ; and tossing their proud heads, trotted off, turning every moment to look at the intruders on their domains, and then hastening away to some favourite stronghold in the Black Mount. My feelings of despair as I saw them thus escaping may well be imagined, but I was speedily relieved by Donald, whose quick eye had discovered other deer, which, from being in a hollow, had neither seen us when the others did, nor had perceived us until we (who had never halted) had advanced as in a manner to cut them off from the route that the great body had taken. I must describe to a certain degree the ground, or rather the lay of the ground around us, as it is necessary for the better understanding of the maneuvres we used. North, south, and east, were three round high hills ; on the side of that to the east was our position when we first saw the deer: between the three hills lay the small plain, entered from the north-east and south-east by two passes between the hills, through the latter of which our party had approached. On the western side a steep hill, cleft by a rocky and dangerous burn, which drained the waters of the plain, descended to a deep glen below. Proceeding round the side of the hill, its natural shape soon hid us from the sight of the deer last observed ; and as soon as this was the case we stopped and held council as to our future measures. The deer seeing themselves cut off from the course the others had taken, which was towards the north-west, now showed an inclination to move up the south-eastern pags for the purpose of passing behind the eastern hill, and it was determined that Duncan should take his way round that hill to meet and try to turn them back, Ian being left with two dogs in the north-eastern pass, where we had now arrived, while Donald and myself, keeping out of sight of the chase, were to contrive to get down the steep hill to the west, and lie concealed with our guns and the other brace of dogs at the bottom of the rocky burn before mentioned. The plan of attack was therefore as follows: Should Duncan meet the deer at the top of the pass, they would turn and run back to the plain, when they would most likely try to proceed by the north-eastern route ; here, however, they would be opposed by lan and two dogs, and on slipping the latter at them, the deer, pursued by the dogs, would most likely take down the burn, at the bottom of which he would find Donald, myself, and two fresh dogs to bar his farther progress. No sooner said than done. Ian remained where he was with Gary and Moray, two of the dogs, and off the rest of us posted in double-quick time ; for there was none to spare of the last-named commodity. On our way, however, when we had reached the top of the steep hill, Donald advised me to lie down behind a large grey stone, remarking, that as the first seen deer had retired by the north-west, the others might take it into their heads to follow the same course ; and as the wind was blowing from that direction, that even should they not approach me near enough for a shot at them, still they would most likely get my wind (Anglicè, smell me), and in that case would be more inclined to try the north-east passage. I followed his advice, while he proceeded to his post ; and thankful am I for it ; for, had I not done so, not only should we have lost all our sport, but I should have missed seeing one of the most exciting scenes I have ever beheld in the whole course of my sporting life, which has not been an idle one. For ten minutes or a quarter of an hour I lay behind the stone, exposed without shelter to a keen north-west wind—and cold enough it was, in all conscience when all other thoughts were banished by seeing the deer come galloping down the pass, up which they had been leisurely proceeding, Duncan had done his part well, but more remained for him to do; for, instead of returning to the plain, the deer turned up the hill to the south : and oh! how my heart died within me as I saw them slowly walking up to its very top, and doubted whether Duncan would be aware of the course they were steering; for, should he show himself in the pass, they would soon have put the south hill behind them, and then good bye to them for ever. Duncan had, however, watched them well : and on their turning up the hill he took a fresh departure, and meeting them at the top, sent them down into the plain much faster than they went up. They were now about two hundred yards from me, and were advancing straight to where I was lying, when the leader suddenly halted; he had caught my wind, and snorting loudly he turned to the right, and, followed by the rest, trotted towards the north-east pass-the very way we wished them to go. I ran round a little knoll, keeping out of their sight, and had just time to throw myself flat in the heather, when they walked past, one hundred yards from me. My gun being loaded with BB cartridge, it would have been madness to fire from that distance, and as they passed I had full time to admire them. It was a lovely sight. In front marched a fine stag, bearing eight branches ; next to him followed one equally large, but with only six points ; then came one with four, and then a yearling ; then a hind with her calfsix in all. But after a passing glance at the others, my eyes were rivetted on the leading stags as they proudly stepped along, alarmed, and with every sense on the stretch, but yet unconscious of the whereabouts of their enemy. Again feeling the taint as they crossed the current of air that had passed over me, they broke once more into a trot, and disappeared behind one of the slight inequalities of the plain. No sooner had I lost sight of them than, springing from the ground, I ran to the top of the little knoll round which they had passed, and scarce had I arrived there when I heard the sharp bark of a frightened hind, with her calf at her foot, and saw my gallant dogs charging right into the midst of the herd, which was scattering in confusion. In a moment Moray and Gary had each chosen a quarry ; the former the stag with eight points, the latter that with six. I watched Gary with straining eyes, as leaping at the throat of the stag he brought him several times to the earth, and always expected to see the deer, according to the general custom, turn down the hill ; but no! they pass over the brow out of my sight, the stag actually dragging along the dog, who kept his hold at the throat; and giving that deer up for lost, as in descending the opposite side he would have the advantage, I turned to look for Moray and her stag. She had turned him down the hill, and they passed me like a whirlwind ; the hound springing at the stag's throat and throwing him fearful falls, but not being so heavy as a dog she was unable to prevent his rising again, or to retain her hold. He ran towards the rocky burn, and though I knew the hound was useless in the burn, yet I had hopes that by pursuing him she would prevent his leaving it, and that he would meet Donald at the bottom. Scarce, however, had they entered the top of the burn when I heard a shot from there, and Ian having joined me we ran down, and found Duncan leaning on his gun, and Moray worrying the still throbbing throat of her dead foe. Duncan had cleverly crept down the hill, and running on, when he saw his chance had fired the lucky shot that laid low the pride of the gallant hart. Having called to Donald for some time, he at last heard us, and remounting the hill joined us, where we were employed smoking our pipes and gralloching the quarry. We would have drunk the deoch fala, or death drink; but alas! all the whisky in my flask had evaporated at luncheon time.

Having heard our story, Donald said we were in luck ; but at the same time expressed his determination at once to go and look for Gary, not with any hope of his having been successful, but lest, as is often the case, he might have been hurt by the stag. Ian having volunteered to accompany him, Duncan and I were to be left to get the dead deer down to the bottom of the hill. Scarce had Donald and his comrade proceeded a couple of hundred yards when we heard them shout to us, and cantering complacently towards us we saw the missing dog. He was very light-coloured, and as he came nearer I saw that the whole of his