Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-27
TIRIKG OUT THE STAG
A "Deer Take" In EnoIand's Old
est Deer Park.
HoUNDE0 UNTIL he GASPS
The Game Animal 10 Msroilsssiy
Driven Hithsr and Yon, Through
Lake and Wood, Until He Fslls Ex.
haustsd, Though undsuntsd.

land, such as Fridge park, the Oldest
deer park in the Kingdom, are kept
/ practically wild I'm their original forest
state, while near TO the castle Is the
cultivated home park. Fridge park
contains 1900 acres aud is the only
estate in England, with one exception.
where deer taking with hounds il still
carried on. Fridge park once formed
part Of the royal chase. It still retains
the wild beauty II then had, although
there are more than seventy miles or
lovely drives In 1t, not counting those
OF the home park.
Deer tnking 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 he fat
tened and eventually turned into ven.
ison.
The sport 10 by no means as tame AZ
IL sounds. A seven 20 nine year old
red deer is an awkward customer TO
tackle. Flo 10 powerful, agile and well
armed with sntlers aud hoofs
When there IL to be a deer taking at
Fridge park the meet is planned for IL
o'clock at the park keepers house
The underkeepers, with fresh hounds
are scattered through the park to head
IN the stag sbould he come their way.
The underkeepers having spread
themselves over the park, the DaYk
Keeper. with the field" those follow.
ing mounted and on FOOT set OF To-
find deer which looks ready for fnt
tening purposes Having selected one
1t Is the work Of the keeper to get him
separated from the rest and then &c
slip his hound and set after him rs
hard as we can gallop. The pace OF
course, Is tremendous, and as rabbit
holes abound the risk OF a fall Is even
betting or, rather. a tribe OF odds OF
the certainty OF our talking a toss"
AS our deer bounds away with hi,
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
tul with the instinct OF his species ht
turns to what he thinks Is his sane.
tusry-the lakes. With open mouth
and tongue outhanging he plunges
good fifteen feet into the water and
swims for the opposite bank Cash
ing and firing, lie lands on what be
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 10 face the hill before him.
turing orO1pd ma
through the bracken with a hound on
each side of him, ready to pull him
down II they get but half n chance
IT is dingdong race, under trees
through boys and brackep, up and
down dells and breaks. smashing head
long through everything, anything. Il
reach the shelter OF the friendly
water once again. With a mighty
spring he Is I'm again. For moment
there IL 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 nc
swims with graceful movement OF his
noble head, glancing all around at his
pursuers, but with his mind fixed or
bis line Of retreat. He reaches the
shore, and. with dripping sides, he T.
out upon the bank.
Again he makes an EFFORT TO battle
and leave behind those clinglng 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
IN
ages to make a squirt, though he in
now stiffening rapidly, and just
reaches some park palings surrounding
the big lake
In an Instant be has turned on biz
pursuers and with head down and up
raised fore leg he is prepared TO fight
to the death 4 hound ruShes In. but
In q twinkling he is on his back,
hurled awsy like = piece or wood.
This CHEEKS the other hound, which
lodges and bays around the stag
Seeing that things are now getting =
bit too warm FOR him, the stag sudden.
~ turns round aud, smashing the pal
ings like match wood, finds himself
again 10 the icy water Of the big lake.
Away aud away he swims M this
long stretch, the water seeming 10 re-
vive him. for he svims the eastern
length. three quarters OF a mile. and
then lands OF the far end while we
follow on the shore. RE swims Ull his
feet touch the ground and stands fac.
ing us.
All we can do now Is 10 end the stu.
stion as speedily as possible A keeper
Iefty throws n rope with loose
snot over the stays sntlers. 10 =
moment four burly keepers are haul
Ing him out BY the ropes II r. now q
slow march 60 his feeding ground IN
the homo park. Slowly the procession
moves. never slacksoing OF the rope
Or the hold on the sntlers Through
The gate dividing the parks he r.
brought an unwilling prisoner, though
sndau7t'd This ends the deer tskioE