142 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



are generally drawn, the remainder of the pack being 

 shut up in some convenient barn. The reason of 

 this is that the covert probably contains all sorts 

 of deer, stags, hinds, and calves. The tufters are 

 stopped again and again till the required animal is 

 seen to go away, when they are stopped for the 

 last time, and the whole pack is fetched and laid 

 upon the line. Of course, when there is known to 

 be only one deer in a covert this precaution is un- 

 necessary, and the covert is drawn with the pack as 

 in fox-hunting. 



The Hunt uniform is scarlet with a silver button, 

 bearing a stag's head and the motto, " Prosperity to 

 Stag-hunting." It is the only Hunt which has a crest 

 and motto of its own. 



Having now described the Hunt at some length, 

 let me dip into my old diaries for a couple of repre- 

 sentative runs. 



A MOORLAND RUN. 



The meet for Wednesday, the 3rd of October, 

 : 8 , was fixed for Bray Ford, a point almost equi- 

 distant from Lynton and Dulverton, and from Barn- 

 staple and Porlock. The legitimate stag-hunting 

 season had nearly reached its close, and the vast 

 fields (sometimes five hundred horsemen) we had 

 seen in August and September had dwindled con- 

 siderably, though probably over a hundred were 

 present at the meet. 



Before I had changed my hack for my hunter, 

 the harbourer approached me and informed me he 



