The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-01-20
T|R|NC OUT THE STAG
A Deer Take" In EngIand's Old
est Deer Park.
HOUNDED UNTIL HE GASPS.
The Game Animal Is Merciiessly
Driven Hitler and Yon, Through
Lake and Wood, Until He Falls Ex-
hausted, Though Undaunted.


Driven Hitler and Yon, Through
Lake and Wood, Until He 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 10 the castle Is the
cultivated home park. Fridge park
contains 1900 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
par of the royal CHASE. Il still retains
the wild beauty il then had, although
there are more than seventy miles Of
lovely drives in Ii. not counting these
Of the home park.
Deer lnbing Is entirely different from
deer hnai..s The object is 10 take
he animals alive 80 that they may be
transferred n he home park 10 be fat
tened and eVenuiaily turned Into ven
Ison
The sport Is by no means rs tame as
1t sounds \ seven 10 nine year old
red deer is III awkward customer 10
+ tackle He Is powerful agile and we'll
armed Wit antefs and hoefs.
When there is IL be Il deer taking at
Fridge park The meet is planned for /
O'Clock Al The park keepers house
The underkecpers. with fresh hounds.
are scattered through HE park TO head
off he stag should he come their way
The underkcrpcrs having spread
themselves EYER The park, he park
keeper. with HE .'tield' those follow
ing mounted aud on foot set of t.
find II deer which looks ready for fat
tening purposes Having selected one
/, Is the WORK of he keeper To get him .
separated from the resi- and then 10
slip his hound and set after him rs
hard rs we can gHllop The puoe. %
eourSp Is tremendous. and as rabbit
holes abound the risk of Il fall is even
betting OF rather tritle Of odds on
the certainty of oHr taking toss
A. our deer bounds AWAY with his
wonderfully easy elastic movements
park expecting to escape his pursucrs
In one place after another he is met
with hidden keepers and fresh hounds
till with the instinct of his species he
turns Ia what he thinks Is his sane
furry the lalles. With open mouth
and tongue aalhanging he plunges Il
good fifteen feet into the water ana
swimS for the opposite bank. Gasp
n@ and firing. he lands on what he
lopes is freedom from his pursuers.
3ut alas. no, Yet another fresh hound i
) after him What can he do? He is !
oc pumped with his already hard It
,urst TO face the hill before him. Il
He turns around and tears down
Trough the bracken with hound on
ach side Of him. ready To pull him
Town if they get but half chance
/ Is a dincdong race, under trees
hroueh boys and bracken up and v
Town dells and breaks. smashing head I
ong through everything, anything, to
reach the shelter of the friendly
water once again With mighty
spring he il in again. For Il moment
there Is breathing space. for now the
Keepers and hounds, yet some way of.
are making for the poor beast. which
Is In the middle Of the lake Away he
swims With graceful movement of his
noble head. CHANGING all around at his
pursuers. but with his mind fixed on
his line of retreat. He reaches the
shore, and with dripping sides. he Is
out upon the bank.
Again he makes an effort to battle
and leave behind those cllnging hounds
that would bear him down. And now
two great hounds are stretching them
selves out TO their utmost pace. Side
by side they race after their firing
quarry, In another minute they viii |
have him. The stag, however, man
ages To make Il squirt, though he Is |
now stiffening rapidly, and Just |
reaches some park palings surrounding |
the big lake
In an instant he has turned on his |
pursucrs, and with head down and up
raised fore leg he is prepared 10 fight
10 the death 4 hound PUSHES In. but
In Il twinkling he is on his back,
hurled away like Il piece of wood
This checks the other hound, which
lodges and bays around he stag.
Seeing that things are now getting
bit too warm for him. the stag sudden
~ turns round and. smashing the pal
ings like match wood. tindS himself
again In the icy water of the big lake.
Away and away he swims, up this
long stretch. the water seeming to re-
vive him, for he swlms the eastern
length. three-quarters OF a mile, and
then lands at the far end while we
follow on the shore. He swims till his
feet touch the ground and stands fac
ing us.
All we can do now is To end the STU
alton as speedily as possible keeper
deity throws rope with Il loose
knot over the stays antlers In
moment -four burly keepers are haul
ing him out lay the ropes. 1t is now
slow march To his feeding ground in
the home park Slowly he procession
moves never \ slackening OF the rope
or the hold on the antlers. Through
the gate dividing the parks he Is
brought. an unwilling prisoner, though
undaunted This ends the deer taking.
Town and Country.