Here he was so hotly pressed by his fierce opponents, whose fangs he
could almost feel within his haunches, that he suddenly stopped and
stood at bay, receiving the foremost of his assailants, Saturn, on the
points of his horns. But his defence, though gallant, was unavailing. In
another instant Herne came up, and, dismounting, called off Dragon,
who was about to take the place of his wounded companion. Drawing a
knife from his girdle, the hunter threw himself on the ground, and,
advancing on all fours towards the hart, could scarcely be
distinguished himself from some denizen of the forest. As he
approached the hart snorted and bellowed fiercely, and dashed its
horns against him; but the blow was received by the hunter upon his
own antlered helm, and at the same moment his knife was thrust to the
hilt into the stag's throat, and it fell to the ground.
Springing to his feet, Herne whooped joyfully, placed his bugle to his
lips, and blew the dead mot. He then shouted to Fenwolf to call away
and couple the hounds, and, striking off the deer's right forefoot with
his knife, presented it to Wyat. Several large leafy branches being
gathered and laid upon the ground, the hart was placed upon them, and
Herne commenced breaking him up, as the process of dismembering
the deer is termed in the language of woodcraft.
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