Before the Frost. 127 



which, however, she is speedily driven, going away 

 at a slapping pace across Leigh Barron, and on 

 towards Morebath. Again she takes to the water, 

 but it is soon made too hot for her, and she once 

 more flies from her relentless pursuers, and running 

 into a small cover at Shillingford is killed. A less 

 fortunate fate than that of Dryden's milk-w^hite hind, 

 which was often " forced to fly and doomed to death, 

 though fated not to die." 



During this capital chase, I chanced to follow a 

 sturdy farmer, who was kind enough to ofi'er me a 

 lead down the steepest hill it was ever my fortune 

 to venture. From the top of the hill to the waters 

 of the Exe, to which point we were trending, it was 

 not less than five hundred feet. The hill itself 

 may be described as being a little out of the perpen- 

 dicular. For the greater portion of the distance, we 

 rode straight down; thence following narrow side- 

 pathways, through dense brushwood, tangled briars, 

 over fallen trees, boulder stones and stumps, through 

 coarse grass and rushy pathways, down, dowm, 

 dowm ; but there was a lower depth still, which w- e 

 had to fathom by dismounting and leading our 

 horses. Never once did the game little horse I w^as 

 riding put his foot wrong, making light of my 

 weight, sixteen stone, as he descended this not 

 bad imitation of a precipice. Then, mounting 

 again, I galloped at full speed along the valley 

 of the Exe ; but the hounds had gone away 

 whilst we were engaged in descending from Haddon 

 heights, and I could not get up with the body of 

 the pack. 



A hind was viewed across a turnip field, and three 



