THE WILD STAG OX EXMOOR 229 



lead. The track of the stag is acknowledged tacitly and 

 willingly, not exuberantly. The leaders settle at once into their 

 place, and the rest follow on. There is no noise, and scarcely a 

 quiver of the stern — and yet these hounds arc all imported 

 (unentered) from kennels where a mute hound is not allowed to 

 live. And this silent, stealthy, impassive style of running 

 (which, in my ignorance, I had considered a peculiarity of the 

 chase of the carted deer — and as, more or less, a consequence of 

 want of blooding) is, I now learnt, quite as much a characteristic 

 of Wild Staghunting — stamping the fact that the scent of the 

 deer and the scent of the fox exert totally different influences 

 on the senses of the hound. 



Over hill and valley and stream hounds now ran on, moving 

 ever fast enough to keep horses at a stretching gallop. Still 

 they kept pointing onwards into the bleakest and, in a hunting 

 sense, the best of Exmoor Forest. But, when seventeen rapid 

 minutes had been scored, the rivulet of Chalk Water reached, 

 hounds stood suddenly still — and I can only add (venturing no 

 ♦speculative explanation) that the stag was lost, then and there. 

 With the old hounds such a sudden failure could not have been ; 

 but the puppies and tyros were not to be depended on ; so, after 

 prolonged effort, Arthur had to give up his search — and the day 

 ended in a pelting merciless downpour. 



The chase of the red deer on Exmoor is no longer a mere 

 local pursuit ; but from every county pilgrim -sportsmen have 

 journeyed down to settle themselves for a common purpose 

 where their various fancy may dictate. There are no lack of 

 good quarters for them. Some choose Dulverton as a quiet (if 

 sociable) retreat ; others like to be landed at the terminus of 

 Minehead, nor care to take themselves and their horses farther 

 than the " Feathers." Others drive another eight miles to enjoy 

 the ripple of the waves at Porlock Weir ; some like to view the 

 sea dashing on the rocks at Lynmouth ; some pi-efer the heights 

 of Lynton just above ; while others come by train each hunting 

 morning from Taunton. South Molton has its visitors ; the 

 village of King's Brorapton is a central spot that might well be 



