240 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



to Porlock, and on entering the stable instantly 

 died. 



August 26th. — The hounds met at Havvkridge, when 

 old farmer Holcombe, better known as the King of 

 Hawkridge, reported a good stag to be in Ashway Hat. 

 The tufters soon found, and a four-year old male deer 

 broke ; but as he was a year too young to be run, the pack 

 was not laid on, and orders were given to tuft South 

 Barton ; but the King persisted that an old stag was 

 still in Ashway Hat, and to satisfy him, two couple of 

 tufters proceeded to draw it again ; they soon found 

 him, and he broke at the head of the covert, passed 

 over Ashway farm and came to the Barle at Three- 

 waters; here the pack was laid on, and ran him through 

 North Hawkridge Wood to Castlebridge. He now took 

 the Barle again, and broke from it at once, on the same 

 side as he entered it, into Buckminster Wood, and 

 lay fast ; the hounds went down the river a quarter 

 of a mile, and not hitting him were cast back ; they 

 now hit him from the river at the place he had 

 entered, and fresh found him ; he now passed up 

 through Durham Wood on to North Moor, kept it to 

 beyond Hynam Corner, and by Shercombe Slade came 

 again to water and crossed it into Marsh Wood ; they 

 rattled him through the wood, and forced him over 

 Draydon farm for Highercombe ; he now sank the 

 bottom for Loosehall Wood, and broke from it to Court- 

 Down ; crossing this and Heatheridge for Execleave, 

 came to water on the Exe above Helebridge ; went 

 up stream to Chilleybridge, and broke from it into 

 Halsecombe Wood and lay down ; but all his tricks 

 proved of no avail. The pack soon obliged him to 



