94 ON THE GRAMPIAN HILLS. 



trenches had been cut for the purpose of drainage, it 

 was due to the cleverness of the animal I was mounted 

 on that I was saved from coming to grief whilst 

 crossing these grass-grown, rotten pitfalls. A short 

 time had only elapsed when a stag went away, going 

 in the direction of a grand line of country, and we 

 tallied him in vain, for there were several stags and 

 hinds on foot ; but at last one broke away from the 

 coombe, and went away at a rattling pace, and, the 

 hounds being promptly laid on, we were soon urging 

 on our steeds through the boggy ground, rising pre- 

 cipitous ascents or descending the almost per- 

 pendicular hillsides, crossing swiftly-flowing rivulets, 

 stumbling over the big boulders, but still going on, 

 on, in pursuit of our quarry. At one time I saw three 

 men down at a grip, their horses sinking deep in the 

 quagmire, one of the fallen losing a valuable gold 

 watch in the mud. There goes the Prince, pounding 

 along right well over hill and dale and moorland, 

 making good way over the treacherous ground, when 

 suddenly his horse sinks deep into the bog, and, 

 floundering about for a moment, cleverly extricates 

 himself, and is soon seen mounting one of the steep 

 hills, bearing his rider safely to the summit, where the 

 Prince halted for a moment to get a breather, whilst 

 most of the riders had dismounted in order to ease 

 their nags when climbing this steep acclivity. Then 

 after crossing Doone Valley, and struggling across 

 the forest, we cross the road and run in the direction 

 of Lynton. Here the ground is firm and the going 

 better. The field had by this time been greatly 

 reduced by the pace and the difficult line which the 

 stag had taken ; then, after running within a short 



