138 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



the previous run, and who were living at Porlock, 

 which is close by, had heard the hounds and hurried 

 out to see. They hospitably invited us to their 

 house. Both then and afterwards the discussion on 

 the question, "Which was the finer run?" raged 

 hotly ; and even I, who played my part in both, 

 find it hard to answer. One thing is clear, that 

 since that season neither has been equalled, far 

 less surpassed. 



" Prosperity to stag-hunting ! " 



II. THE NEW FOREST DEER-HOUNDS. 



Ever since I had had a season on Exmoor I had con- 

 ceived a strong desire to give the New Forest pack 

 a turn, but it was not till a couple of years later 

 that I was able to gratify this, and sending three 

 horses down to Lyndhurst, I followed them myself 

 a day or two after the New Year. 



The season, as it proved, was not the best I 

 could have chosen for deer - hunting, for in those 

 days February was a close month, and in March I 

 had to sail for India. However, I learned something 

 of the sport, of the pack, and of the country, w^hich 

 I may here condense. 



At the time of which I write the Mastership of 

 these hounds was in the hands of Mr Lovell, who 

 had started the pack in 1858. Things were done 

 in a more or less rough-and-ready way, the green 

 coat being worn only by the huntsman, whose 

 nominal assistant was a lad in leggings. Practi- 

 cally, much help was given by the Misses Lovell, 



