242 CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 



he fell, and the hounds closed upon him. He was a 

 magnificent stag, at least fifteen years old ; his brow 

 antlers fourteen and a half inches long ; he was so fat 

 and heavy he could with difficulty gallop. 



1815. — On the 30th September found a stag in Par- 

 sonage Wood, Luckham, and after a good run across 

 the moors to the Warren, he backed it for Horner 

 coverts, then beat down to Bossington Rock. Here 

 the hounds could not get to him. After half an hour 

 he went out to sea, and we could get no Porlock boat 

 to venture out after him on account of the high wind 

 and tide ; he was known to have come ashore the same 

 evening, to the eastward of Bossington, and between it 

 and Minehead. 



October ^rd. — The fixture was Cutcombe, to try for 

 an old stag reported to be in those coverts; tufted 

 Oaktrow Wood, with all the other coverts blank. Lord 

 Fortescue now gave orders for the pack to be moved 

 to Cloutsham, Joe Faulkner, the whip, remaining on 

 Dunkerry with two couple of tufters, until the pack 

 was housed. Found immediately in the top of the 

 Combe, above Sweet Tree, and the pack was laid on 

 at Langcombe Head, shortly after two o'clock. They 

 ran him over Stoke Pero Common, as if pointing for 

 Badgworthy, but turned to the left over Lucat Moor, 

 then over Exford Common to Larkborough, and by 

 Tumshill and Pinford Bog to Execleave ; then crossed 

 for Honeymead and to water on the Barle at Cow- 

 castle; he broke over Sherdon, and on to Filedon 

 Ridge, and down through Darlick enclosures to Long- 

 wood ; beat through it to Mineswood and to Heasley 

 Mill ; then over South Radworthy and through the 



