134 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



siderably on me, but I knew the stag's point must be 

 Horner, and sent my mare along fast through the 

 heather to Lee Hill, whence I descended rapidly into 

 the valley, and followed the brook towards the sea. 

 Yes, there, just above Horner Green, is the stag at 

 bay, his back against some rails. Before him lies 

 a hound on the stones, unhurt fortunately, but 

 another licks a nasty wound, while the rest bay 

 furiously. The stag is roped at once by Anthony, 

 and knifed by Arthur. He was a fine, rather dark 

 stag, with a splendid head of twelve points. This 

 was the finest moorland run for fourteen years, and 

 I doubt if there has been such another since. Out 

 of the large field, there were thirteen or fourteen 

 in at the death. 



I cannot conclude better than with an extract from 

 the account written at the time for Horse and 

 Hound by Arthur Heal's son, and consequently 

 inspired by the huntsman. He says : "A splendid 

 run, entirely in the open, and one of the best for 

 many a year — in fact there could be no better. The 

 distance is full twenty miles, and the time from find 

 to finish one hour and fifty minutes, without the 

 slightest check. Among those who went well with 

 the leading division throughout were Mr Basset, the 

 Duchess of Hamilton, Mrs T. Fitzwilliam, Miss King- 

 lake, Miss Hurst (riding a mare of Snaffle s ^), Captain 

 Curzon, the Hon. C. Bampfylde, Mr Karslake, Q.C., 

 Mr J. Budd, Mr A. Hamilton (''Cinqfoil," of The 

 Field, w^ho wrote a capital account of the run), 



("Snaffle"^), Messrs Coleridge, Bocke (two), 



Passmore, and Slader." 



So ended the great inoorland gallop. Before we 



1 My notes and remarks — Snaffle. 



