Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-18
TIRIHG OUT TIE ST.
A "Deer Take" In EngIand's Old
est Deer Park.
BOUNDED UNTIL he GASPS
Tho Gsme Animal is Mereilessly
Driven Hithcr and Yon. Through
Lake and Wood, Until He Falla tx.
haustcd, Though Un6auntcd.

Lake and Wood, Until He Falls Ex.
haustcd, Though Un6aunted.
Parts OF certain great parks in Eng
land, such rs Fridge park. The Oldest
deer park i'm the kingdom. arc kept
practically wild in their original forest
state. while near to the castle is the
cultivated home park. Fridge park
contains 1900 acres and is the only
estate in England, with one exception.
where deer taking with hounds Is still
carried on. Fridge park once formed
part Of the royal chase. IL still retains
the wild beauty it then had, although
there are more than seventy miles OF
lovely drives in 1t, 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
II sounds. A seven to nine year old
red deer is an awkward customer to
tackle. lie Is powerful, agile and well
armed with antlcrs AID hoofs.
When there is TO be deer taking mt
Fridge park the meet is planned for il
o'clock at the park Keepers house.
The underkeepcrs, with fresh hounds
are scattered through the park to head
oif the stag should he como their way.
The undcrkcepcrs having spread
themselves over the park, the park
Keeper, with the "field" chose follow.
Ing mounted and on FOOT set of to
find deer which looks ready for fat
tening purposes. Having selected one
II 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, n trille OF odds on
the certainty OF our taking n 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
TIL with the instinct of his species he
turns To what he thinks IS his sane.
tuory-the lakes. With open mouth
and tongue Outhanging he plunges n
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 pun him
down If they get but half a chance.
1t is dingdong race. under trees.
through bogs and brackep, up and
down dclls and breaks, smashing head
long through everything, anything. to
reach the shelter of the friendly
water once again. With n mighty
spring he Is in again. Fora 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 or his
noble head, CHANGING all around at bis
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 clinging hounds
that would bear him down. And now
two great hounds are stretching them-
selves out 10 their utmost pace. Side
by side they race after their firing
quarry; In another minute they will
have him. The stag, however man
ages to make squirt, though he is
now stidening rapidly, and Just
reaches some park palings surrounding
the big lake.
In an instant he has turned on hlu
pursucrs, and with head down and up.
raised fore leg nc is prepared to fight
90 the death. A hound Fushes in. but
In a twinkling he is on his back,
hurled away like piece Of wood.
This checks the other hound. which
lodges and bays around the stag
Seeing Tint things arc now getting r.
bit too warm for him, the stag sudden.
ry turns round and, smashing the paI-
ipes like match wood. finds himself
again I'm the fey woter OF the biz lake.
Away and away ne swims. up this
long stretch the water seeming to- re.
yirc him. for ne swims the eastern
length thrcc.qulrtcrs Of mile. and
then lands NO the far end while we
follow ON th" shore. Tic ewimg fil hi,
fcrl touch lhe ground and stands fac.
ing us.
AlI we can do now SIS 10 end The stu.
alton as speedily as possible. a Keeper
deity throws rope with a Ioos.
Fuot over the stays autlers 30 %
moment four bUrlv Eccncrs arc h1ul.
ing him out by the ropes. r. f. now
slow march to DIS feeding ground In
fine homo park slowly tLc procession
moves. never q .Ia.k'lirg OF the roro
or The hold on the autors Through
Tho rufa rftfTsft. tf. r.-rf..