196 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



tually to the minute, at 11 a. m., the Master rides up. He has 

 a word with Anthony, then after allowing five minutes' grace 

 for late-comers, he gives the signal to kennel the pack. This 

 Anthony does in an old barn near at hand, at the same time 

 drafting from the pack six of the most obedient hounds, with 

 which he returns to the place of meeting. The Master then 

 sounds the horn for "going to covert" and we all move on at a 

 smart trot, headed by Anthony and the three couple of hounds. 

 These selected hounds are called "tufters." The reason for 

 taking only a few hounds to draw a covert is that the deer are 

 so numerous that the whole pack would be uncontrollable, 

 especially as it is only the hinds they wish to chase at this time 

 of the year (spring), while in the autumn only the stags are 

 hunted. 



The tops of the Quantock Hills are bald of timber, but 

 completely covered with heather — a bush growing from fifteen 

 to twenty inches high. There are, however, numerous wooded 

 ravines leading up the sides of the hills from dense forests. It 

 is near the top of these ravines that the deer are at this time of 

 day expected to be found. After riding along on the crest of 

 the hills for half a mile or more, Anthony turns sharply to the 

 left, and alone with the tufters canters down the side of the 

 hill, and presently enters one of these wooded ravines; then 

 he comes back up the ravine, so as to make the deer "break 

 covert" over the top of the hills. All the riders and pedestrians, 

 who have come along to see the sport, wait on the summit of 

 the hill in the opening. 



Five minutes later, out of the top of the ravine, into which 

 Anthony has cast the tufters, there come bounding over the 

 heather eight beautiful deer, three stags and five hinds, all in 

 full view; in fact, some of the startled creatures find them- 

 selves right among the riders and spectators. Hard after 

 them come the tufters, and Anthony with them. Quickly he 

 notes the course the largest hind is taking, and decides on 



