i82 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



echoing crag ; till, at a sudden turn of the road, 

 there stood the stag beneath them in the stream, 

 his back against the black rock with its green 

 cushions of dripping velvet, knee deep in the clear 

 amber water, the hounds around him, some strug- 

 gling and swimming in the deep pool, some rolling, 

 and tossing, and splashing in a mad, half-terrified 

 ring, as he reared into the air on his great haunches, 

 with the sparkling beads running off his red mane, 

 and, dropping on his knees, plunged his antlers 

 down among them, with blows which would have 

 each brought certain death with it, if the yielding 

 water had not broken the shock. Do you think 

 that he does not remember the death ? The huge 

 carcass dragged out of the stream, followed by 

 dripping, panting dogs ; the blowing of the mort 

 and the last wild halloo, when the horn-note and 

 the voices rang through the autumn woods, and 

 rolled up the smooth flat mountain sides ; and 

 Brendon answered Countisbury, and Countisbury 

 sent it on to Lynmouth Hills, till it swept out of 

 the gorge, and died away upon the Severn sea ? ' * 



Let those who read the account of runs given in 

 the Appendix, read them as Mr Kingsley would 

 have done, and possibly may do, and to many, 



'" ' Miscellanies,' North Devon, vol. ii. p. 241. 



