228 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



run of two hours, and on the 22nd the second hind was 

 run up and killed. 



Atigust 2ist. — ^The stag-hunting season commenced 

 with a first meet at Porlock. Ten couple of hounds only 

 could be brought into the field, showing unmistakably 

 the mischief done by that terrible scourge to hounds, 

 ' distemper.' They did their work well, and killed a good 

 stag after a chase of two hours and twenty minutes. 



September 6th. — Met at Braytown ; found in East 

 Down Wood ; the tufters not stopped until they reached 

 Radworthy ; here the pack was laid on, and made im- 

 mediately for Exmoor, passing over Whiteladders to Corn- 

 ham and down the valley, but turned to the right before 

 leaving Simonsbath, and slanted the hill to Cow Castle \ 

 he beat down and broke to the right up over Fernyball, 

 and by Sherdon reached Crooked Post, then on over 

 Greenburrow and Postford for Withypoole Common ; 

 then over Worth Common, descending through West- 

 water farm to the river Barle at Hindspool ; now beat 

 the river to Tarrsteps and Ashwayham. He now broke 

 out to the right into Marsh Close and lay down in some 

 furze ; the hounds missed him, and Joe tried down the 

 river to Threewaters, and on to its junction with the 

 Danesbrook without hitting him ; he now backed it to 

 Tarrsteps, but the fault could not be hit off. The opinion 

 of the field was that the stag had kept the middle of the 

 stream and gone down further than the hounds had been 

 cast, although they had tried down one mile ; but Joe 

 persisted in his opinion to the contrary ; he now crossed 

 the river from Ashwayham into Marsh Close with the 

 pack, and drew the brake ; here they fresh found him, 

 and ran in view to below Threewaters and killed him. 



