THE WALK CONTINUED. 27 



Avon. From this point we will follow its 

 course to Salisbury, at any rate as far as 

 Amesbury, avoiding the provincial Wen and 

 the " Accursed Hill." 



If you are from " the great Wen," and 

 wish to follow Cobbett along the Avon, you 

 would do well to get out at Savernake station. 

 From there you can either follow the tow- 

 path of the Kennet and Avon Canal — a straight, 

 silver -green ribbon of water now rendered 

 almost useless from a dog-in-the-manger 

 policy of a great railway company — or you 

 can pursue the longer and more beautiful 

 way through the forest of Savernake. 



Save in the interest of good forestry, one 

 would have nothing touched in this noblest 

 unspoilt forest in England. I entered it as 

 the light of day was waning, and whilst 

 watching a herd of deer breaking out from 

 the rustling bracken, which here overtops the 

 antlers of the stags, a man suddenly appeared 

 before me. A stag which had glided almost 

 imperceptibly into the aisle of the overarching 

 beeches threw up its head, peered intently at 

 the advancing figure, and then at a bound 

 gave the signal for a general stampede of the 

 whole herd down the shadow-encompassed glen. 



