Smyrna times., 1909-01-13
TIRING OUT TIE STAG
A "Deer Take" In EngIand'S Old,
est Deer Park.
HoUNDED UNTIL HE GASPS
The Game Animal Is Mereilessly
Driven Hither and Yon, Through
Lake and Wood. Until Ho Falls Ex-
hausted, Though undaunted.

Parts of certain great parks in Eng !
land, such as Fridge park. the Oldest |
deer park in the kingdom, are kept
practically wild in their original forest
state, while near to the castle is the
cultivated home park. Fridge park
contains 5000 acres and is the on.y
estate in England, with one exception,
where deer taking with hounds is still
carried on. Fridge park once formed
part of the royal chase. 1t still retains
the wild beauty it then had, although
there are more than seventy miles of
lovely drives in It, not counting those
Of the home park.
Deer taking is entirely different from
deer hunting The object is to take
the animals alive so that they may be
transferred to the home park to be fat
tened and eventually turned into ven.
isOn.
The sport is by no means as tame as
1t sounds. A seven to nine year old
red deer is an awkward customer to
armed with antlers and hoofs.
When there is to be deer taking at
Fridge park the meet is planned for II
o'clock at the park keepers house
The underkeepers, with fresh hounds,
are scattered through the park to head
of the stag should he come their way.
The underkeepers having spread
Ln
keeper, with the field" chose follow
ing mounted and on FOOT set off to
find deer which looks ready for fat
tening purposes. Having selected one,
1t is the work of the keeper to get him
separated from the rest and then to
slip his hound and set after him as
hard as we can gallop. The pace, of
course, is tremendous, and as rabbit
holes abound the risk of fall is even
betting or, rather, trife Of odds on
the certainty Of our taking q toss"
AS our deer bounds away with his
wonderfully easy. elastic movements
he makes for the widest part of the
park, expecting to escape his pursuers
In one place after another he is met
with hidden keepers and fresh hounds,
till with the instinct of his species he
turns to what he thinks Is his sane
| tuary-the lakes. With open mouth
and tongue Outhanging he plunges a
good fifteen feet into the water and
swims for the opposite bank. Gasp
ing and firing. he lands on what he
hopes is freedom from his pursuers.
But, alas. no! Yet another fresh hound
is after him. What can he do? He is
too pumped with his already hard
burst to face the hill before him.
He turns around and tears down
through the bracken with a hound on
each side Of him, ready to pull him
down If they get but half a chance.
1t IS dingdOng race, under trees.
through bogs and bracken, up and
down dells and breaks. smashing head
long through everything, anything. to
reach the shelter of the friendly
water once again. With a mighty
spring he is in again. For a moment
there is breathing space, for now the
keepers and hounds, yet some way off.
are making for the poor beast, which
is IN the middle Of the lake. Away he
swims with graceful movement Of his
J. noble head, glancing all around at his
pursuers, but with his mind fixed OIL
his line Of retreat He reaches the
shore, and, with dripping sides, he is
out upon the bank
Again he makes an effort to baGlC
and leave behind those clinging hound.
hot 1T
two great hounds are stretching them
selves out to their utmost pace. Sid,
by side they race after their trim.
) quarry; in another minute they will
: have him. The stag, however, man
] ages to make squirt, though he Il
4 now stiffening rapidly, and jus
reaches some park palings surroundin;
! the big lake.
E In an instant he has turned on hi
q pursuers, and with head down and up
2 raised fore les he is prepared to figh
' to the death. hound rushes in, bu
q In a twinkling he is on his back
e hurled away like a piece Of wood
( This checks the other hound, whicl
g dodges and bays around the stag
4 Seeing that things are now getting
t bit too warm for him, the stag sudden
- ly turns round and smashing the pa
e ings like match wood, finds himsel
again in the icy water of 6he big lax,
Away and away he swims, up thi
long stretch, the water seeming to r.
q vive him, for he swims the easter
a length, three-quarters of a mile. an
l. then lands at the far end while W
d follow on the shore. He swims till hi
2. feet touch the ground and stands IA,
q ing us.
n All we can do now is to end the sitl
d alton as speedily as possible. A keepe
n deftly throws a rope with loos
# knot over the stag's antlers. In
moment four burly keepers are hau
ing him out by the ropes. 1t is now
slow march to his feeding ground
d the home park. Slowly the processio
moves, never a slackening of the roI
or the hold on the antlers. Throug
the gate dividing the parks he