The times., 1901-05-05
THE RED DEER AT WINDSOR.
An Interesting Herd Destroyed in
SwinIey PaddOcks.
(From the London Telegraph. }


Our Windsor correspondent -telegraphS
The famous red deer " hich had been Sc
lected from the herd in Windsor Great
Park and kept in Swinley Paddocks for
hunting by the royal buckhounds have, it
is understood, been destroyed. the ami
mails having been shot IN consequence of
the abolition of the hunt"
If this report be true there passes away
as pass away 1t must with the diScon-
tinuance of the royal buckhounds-a very
interesting establishment. The deer at
the Swiniey Paddocks have long been IA
nous Uusually the herd numbered about
twenty-five, In the 1892 season there were
eleven stays, seven hinds four pOlled
haviers, and three haviers in the pad
docks-this being an average constituency.
Most of them were WindsOT-bred, with
mond Park
1t has always been the rule in the royal
establishments TO hunt only the good
-deer-those that the master knew could
and would go. Usually Jaey gave a fine
run, were taken without injury. and thus
it came to pass that season after season
you came upon the same names in the
Swinley Paddocks. You came to know the
animals as so many distinct personalities,
each with history more or less romantic.
Even outside the hunt people became
concerned in the careers of famous stays.
Guy Fawkes. for instance. was quite a
celebrity of his day and Mr.. Gladstone
took much interest in him.-On one occa-
sion he asked his master. of the buck
performances.
To the followers of the hunt some Of
the names recalled splendid runs There
was Lord Clanwilliam, for example, who
ran his pursuers out Of daylight They
were forty miles from kennels, and hounds
and horses had TO sleep out For TWO or
three weeks the stag was outlying. and
then there was a yerirable hunt for him.
Just like the real thing" and at last he
was found on the hills above BOxm0or.
Then he gave fast run for an hour and
a half in a most distressful country for
the horses and was finally taken in the
porch of a limekiln. After two or three
days at Swinley he was again in excellent
condition. The science of stag hunt
ing" said a veteran, lies in the manage
ment of the deer; the rest is a matter of
a bold. fast horse and an adhesive buck
skin" At any rate, it is conceded that
everything depends upon the old past
points and have learned how 10 take care
of themselves-and that was precisely the
quality Of the best animals at Swinley.
One Of the crack deer at Swinley was
Runaway, who earned his name by a re-.
markable exploit. Half an hour after his
first arrival at the paddecks, startled by
the crack of a whip, he jumped out, clear
ing eight feet of oaken paling. He was at
large for some weeks before he was taken,
and that was after a capital run. 30
Whether bold or timid iE~.the general
thsre was always at Swinley, II Is record
ed. q master deer. Stronger stays hustled
the weaker. and a good deal of bullying
went on. Bartlett was a famous master
deer and was TeckOned the best and most
reliable stag of his time. Bartlett was out
one season six times and never had a
scratch of any sort. Guy Fawkes was a
favorite, though he possessed quite as
much guile as his namesake and more per-
sOnaIity about him than the other deer
At Swinley as has been said the herd
lived in luxury. The sweetest second cut
of clover hay-the first being too tough for
deers' teeth-the glossiest old beans, the
juicest carrots were specially chosen for
them They seemed TO live quiet and hap
py lives. They were as accustomed to
civilization as tho OupeDfS IiegGS