Nor
were we allowed to forget that in this case, too, the stags were being
taken by the servants of a queen. Everything was ready for the transport
of the stags to Windsor, and in the foreground was a good strong wooden
cart, painted red and blue, and inscribed in the largest capitals with the
words, "Her Majesty's cart."
The art and practice of taking the stags in the toils is carried out in
this wise. A body of mounted men, under the orders of the superintendent
of the park, ride out to find the herds of red deer. They then ride in and
"cut" out the finest stags, and, spreading out in a broad line, chase them
at the utmost speed of horse towards that quarter of the park where the
nets are spread. Some two hundred yards in front of the nets two
deerhounds are held, and slipped as the stag gallops past--not to injure
or distress him, but to hurry him up and distract his attention from the
long lines of nets in front.
The stags were known to be full of running, and resourceful; consequently
the number of riders who had been asked to help was rather larger than
usual. Even so they had to make a wide sweep of the Southern Park before
they found their deer, and had a racing burst of more than a mile and a
half before they brought them round.
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