HARE-HUNTING 



while the high sandhills and the frequent views hounds got, 

 were all in her favour until we at last pressed her on to 

 the open beach, when we felt sure of her. Hounds, however, 

 had got their heads up, and feeling sure that the hare was 

 dodging among the sandhills they came unwillingly and slowly 

 to the holloa. Eventually she took the water close under 

 my horse : I could have jumped off and caught her easily, 

 but was unwilling to spoil such a run as this by an irregular 

 kill. Nothing we could do availed to make hounds see her : 

 the current was strong, and by the time I realised that they 

 could not be got to follow her, she was out of reach. Boats 

 came out from Exmouth, but were too late to pick her up, 

 and she sank before our eyes. I was greatly annoyed with 

 myself then for not having picked her up when I might have 

 done so. 



' From Ashwell to the far end of the Warren, where the 

 hare went into the sea, is just over eight miles, but as hounds 

 ran it was very much farther : to Langdon Lodge it was nine 

 miles, allowing for the round by Lindridge and Luton, and as 

 to that point the time was an hour and a quarter, it will be 

 admitted that this was one of the finest runs on record. 



' These exceptional runs,' Mr. Webster adds, ' happily 

 result almost always in a kill.' 



Concerning the mancEuvre usually first tried by a hunted 

 hare, he gives a good example : — ' We were once hunting over 

 Little Haldon, an extensive open moor that marches with 

 Luton Moor, an enclosed area containing boggy brakes which 

 form excellent covert. About 150 yards from the bank 

 enclosing Luton Moor we ran through a small patch of gorse : 

 and on coming to the bank hounds checked a moment, then 

 turned and ran back to the gorse led by a reliable hound 

 named Pleader. I was near enough to see Pleader's eye, 

 and I knew he was right and was running for blood, so stopped 

 the cry of war' heel and forbade the huntsman trying over the 

 bank for a minute or two. I heard myself called uncompli- 

 mentary names, but Pleader was right. He almost had the 



55 



