The Sportsman [19]
or craggy bank; since gusts of wind will drift the snow beyond such spots, whereby a store of couching-places[8] is reserved[9]; and that is what puss seeks.
[6] "Discovered."
[7] "Thicket or overhanging crag."
[8] {eunasima}, "places well adapted for a form."
[9] Al. "many places suited for her form are left aside by puss, but this she seeks."
If the tracks conduct the huntsman to this kind of covert he had better not approach too near, for fear the creature should move off. Let him make a circuit round; the chances are that she is there; and that will soon be clear; for if so, the tracks will not trend outwards from the place at any point.[10]
[10] L. Dind. emend. {oudamoi}, "the tracks will not pass in any direction outwards from such ground."
And now when it is clear that puss is there, there let her bide; she will not sir; let him set off and seek another, before the tracks are indistinct; being careful only to note the time of day; so that, in case he discovers others, there will be daylight enough for him to set up the nets.[11] When the final moment has come, he will stretch the big haye nets round the first one and then the other victim (precisely as in the case of one of those black thawed patches above named), so as to enclose within the toils whatever the creature is resting on.[12] As soon as the nets are posted, up he must go and start her. If she contrive to extricate herself from the nets,[13] he must after her, following her tracks; and presently he will find himself at a second similar piece of ground (unless, as is not improbable, she smothers herself in the snow beforehand).[14] Accordingly he must discover where she is and spread his toils once more; and, if she has energy still left, pursue the chase. Even without the nets, caught she will be, from sheer fatigue,[15] owing to the depth of the snow, which balls itself under her shaggy feet and clings to her, a sheer dead weight.
[11] Al. "to envelop the victims in the nets."
[12] Lit. "whatever the creature is in contact with inside."
[13] Cf. Aesch. "Prom." 87, Poto tropo tesd' ekkulisthesei tukhes}.
[14] Or, "if the creature is not first suffocated in the snow itself."
[15] See Pollux, v. 50. "She must presently be tired out in the heavy snow, which balls itself like a fatal clog clinging to the under part of her hairy feet."
IX
For hunting fawns[1] and deer,[2] Indian dogs[3] should be employed, as being strong, large, and fleet-footed, and not devoid of spirit; with these points they will prove well equal to the toil.
[1] See Hom. "Il." xxii. 189, x. 361; "Od." iv. 35; Aelian, "N. A." xiv. 14; xvii. 26; Geopon. xix. 5.
[2] {e elaphos} (generic, Attic) = hart or hind, of roe (Capreolus caprea) or red (Cervus elaphus) deer alike, I suppose. See St. John, "Nat. Hist. and Sport in Moray."
[3] Of the Persian or Grecian greyhound type perhaps. See Aristot. "H. A." viii. 28; Aelian, "N. A." viii. 1; Pollux, v. 37, 38, 43; Plin. "H. N." vii. 2, viii. 28; Oppian, "Cyn." i. 413.
Quite young fawns[4] should be captured in spring, that being the season at which the dams calve.[5] Some one should go beforehand into the rank meadowlands[6] and reconnoitre where the hinds are congregated, and wherever that may be, the master of the hounds will set off--with his hounds and a supply of javelins--before daylight to the place in question. Here he will attach the hounds to trees[7] some distance off, for fear of their barking,[8] when they catch sight of the deer. That done he will choose a specular point himself and keep a sharp look-out.[9] As day breaks he will espy the hinds leading their fawns to the places where they will lay them severally to rest.[10] Having made them lie down and suckled them, they will cast anxious glances this way and that to see that no one watches them; and then they will severally withdraw to the side opposite and mount guard, each over her own offspring. The huntsman, who has seen it all,[11] will loose the dogs, and with javelins in hand himself
[6] "Discovered."
[7] "Thicket or overhanging crag."
[8] {eunasima}, "places well adapted for a form."
[9] Al. "many places suited for her form are left aside by puss, but this she seeks."
If the tracks conduct the huntsman to this kind of covert he had better not approach too near, for fear the creature should move off. Let him make a circuit round; the chances are that she is there; and that will soon be clear; for if so, the tracks will not trend outwards from the place at any point.[10]
[10] L. Dind. emend. {oudamoi}, "the tracks will not pass in any direction outwards from such ground."
And now when it is clear that puss is there, there let her bide; she will not sir; let him set off and seek another, before the tracks are indistinct; being careful only to note the time of day; so that, in case he discovers others, there will be daylight enough for him to set up the nets.[11] When the final moment has come, he will stretch the big haye nets round the first one and then the other victim (precisely as in the case of one of those black thawed patches above named), so as to enclose within the toils whatever the creature is resting on.[12] As soon as the nets are posted, up he must go and start her. If she contrive to extricate herself from the nets,[13] he must after her, following her tracks; and presently he will find himself at a second similar piece of ground (unless, as is not improbable, she smothers herself in the snow beforehand).[14] Accordingly he must discover where she is and spread his toils once more; and, if she has energy still left, pursue the chase. Even without the nets, caught she will be, from sheer fatigue,[15] owing to the depth of the snow, which balls itself under her shaggy feet and clings to her, a sheer dead weight.
[11] Al. "to envelop the victims in the nets."
[12] Lit. "whatever the creature is in contact with inside."
[13] Cf. Aesch. "Prom." 87, Poto tropo tesd' ekkulisthesei tukhes}.
[14] Or, "if the creature is not first suffocated in the snow itself."
[15] See Pollux, v. 50. "She must presently be tired out in the heavy snow, which balls itself like a fatal clog clinging to the under part of her hairy feet."
IX
For hunting fawns[1] and deer,[2] Indian dogs[3] should be employed, as being strong, large, and fleet-footed, and not devoid of spirit; with these points they will prove well equal to the toil.
[1] See Hom. "Il." xxii. 189, x. 361; "Od." iv. 35; Aelian, "N. A." xiv. 14; xvii. 26; Geopon. xix. 5.
[2] {e elaphos} (generic, Attic) = hart or hind, of roe (Capreolus caprea) or red (Cervus elaphus) deer alike, I suppose. See St. John, "Nat. Hist. and Sport in Moray."
[3] Of the Persian or Grecian greyhound type perhaps. See Aristot. "H. A." viii. 28; Aelian, "N. A." viii. 1; Pollux, v. 37, 38, 43; Plin. "H. N." vii. 2, viii. 28; Oppian, "Cyn." i. 413.
Quite young fawns[4] should be captured in spring, that being the season at which the dams calve.[5] Some one should go beforehand into the rank meadowlands[6] and reconnoitre where the hinds are congregated, and wherever that may be, the master of the hounds will set off--with his hounds and a supply of javelins--before daylight to the place in question. Here he will attach the hounds to trees[7] some distance off, for fear of their barking,[8] when they catch sight of the deer. That done he will choose a specular point himself and keep a sharp look-out.[9] As day breaks he will espy the hinds leading their fawns to the places where they will lay them severally to rest.[10] Having made them lie down and suckled them, they will cast anxious glances this way and that to see that no one watches them; and then they will severally withdraw to the side opposite and mount guard, each over her own offspring. The huntsman, who has seen it all,[11] will loose the dogs, and with javelins in hand himself