onged the poor old bucks, in
believing them so desperately pugnacious. Their hostile feelings for
each other had long since ceased--no doubt the moment they found
themselves in such a terrible fix--and they now stood, nose to nose,
quite frightened-like, and `down in the mouth,' as if vexed at the mess
they had got themselves into by their bad behaviour.

"Harry and I, after much pulling and hammering, found it quite
impossible to make two of them. The antlers, which, as you know, are
elastic, had bent with the terrible concussion we had witnessed; and it
was far beyond our strength to bend them back again. In fact, nothing
but a machine of horsepower could have accomplished that. I sent my
companion, therefore, after Cudjo and his handsaw--at the same time
directing him to bring the horse and cart, for the carcass of the buck
we had shot, as well as some ropes for our captives. While he was gone,
I employed my time in skinning the dead animal, leaving his live
companions to themselves: I had no fear of their being able to escape.
Cowed and sullen as both of them looked, it was well for them--since we
did not mean to butcher them--that we had arrived upon the ground as we
did. Otherwise their fate was a settled one. The wolves, or some other
of their numerous enemies, would have treated them worse than we
intended to do; or even had they not been discovered by these, their
doom was sealed all the same. They might have twisted and wriggled
about for a few days longer, to die of thirst and hunger, still looked
in that hostile embrace. Such is the fate of many of these animals.

"Cudjo soon arrived with the necessary implements; and, after hobbling
both the bucks, we sawed one of the branches from their antlers, and set
them asunder. We then put all three into the cart, and returned
triumphant to the house."

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

THE PIT-TRAP.

"Cudjo had already completed our deer-park, which consisted of several
acres, partly woodland and part of it being in the glade immediately
adjoining the house. It was enclosed on all sides by a ten-rail fence,
with stakes and riders, so that no animal of the deer species could
possibly leap out of it. One of its sides lay along the lake; and a
trench had been cut, so as to admit a small pond of water within the
enclosure. Into this our bucks were put, and left to enjoy themselves
as they best might.

"The next anxiety of Harry and myself was to procure a d