THE CHASE OF THE WILD DEER. 145 



Directly after I made a bad mistake. An excited 

 shepherd holloaing led me to think I had overridden 

 the line, and that the stag had turned short back 

 to Badgeworthy Water. I turned round, and actually 

 rode nearly back there till, meeting a couple of tailed- 

 off hounds holding on the line, I saw I was mistaken, 

 and once more retraced my way to the Exford Road. 

 The rest of the leading division had now gained 

 considerably on me, but I knew the stag's point 

 must be Horner, and sent my mare along fast through 

 the heather to Lee Hill, whence I descended rapidly 

 into the valley, and followed the brook towards the 

 sea. Yes, there, just above Horner Green, is the 

 stag at bay, his back against some rails. Before 

 him lies a hound on the stones^ unhurt fortunately, 

 but another licks a nasty wound, while the rest bay 

 furiously. The stag is roped at once by Anthony 

 and knifed by Arthur. He was a fine, rather dark 

 stag, with a splendid head of twelve points. This 

 was the finest moorland run for fourteen years, and 

 I doubt if there has been such another since. Out 

 of the large field, there were thirteen or fourteen in 

 at the death. 



I cannot conclude better than with an extract 

 from the account written at the time for Horse 

 and Hound by Arthur Heal's son, and consequently 

 inspired by the huntsman. He says: "A splendid 

 run, entirely in the open, and one of the best for 

 many a year in fact there could be no better. The 

 distance is full twenty miles, and the time from find 

 to finish one hour and fifty minutes, without the slightest 



