APPENDIX 259 



Ridler's farm they again came to a check, and after cast- 

 ing in all directions without hitting him, the field, or the 

 few of them left with the hounds, was about to give him 

 up as lost, when an old hound picked it across an 

 adjoining field into a thick beech hedge, and out came 

 the stag. He was so done that they never let him out of 

 view, and he was killed at Hawkwell, in the parish 

 of Dulverton. He was an old deer with three on top on 

 each horn. 



September yd, 1824.— The meet was at Hawkridge, 

 and the pack were moved to Halse farm in Winsford, as 

 a good stag was reported in Burrow Wood. They soon 

 found him ; it rained heavily during this chase, but the 

 scent was very good, and he was killed on Stoke Pero 

 Common, after a very fast gallop of two hours. He first 

 broke over Farmground for Bye Common, went on 

 to the Warren, then up the water to Nethercott ; broke 

 from it to the left, and over Ashcleave to Littleash ; now 

 turned to the right over Rumhill to Buckworthy, and 

 then over Chibbett farm to Whitecross, and down to 

 water on the Exe, below Muddicombe ; beat up stream, 

 and broke to the right over Wellshead farm, on to Exford 

 Common ; crossed it for Larkborough, and then to the 

 right under Alderman's Burrow for Stoke Pero Common, 

 here the hounds set him up, and he was killed on dry 

 land. It was some time before we could capture him, 

 but at length this was accomplished by stringing our 

 stirrup leathers together with a stirrup at the end, and 

 thus throwing it over his horn. If I mistake not, this 

 suggestion came from Lord Henry Kerr, who witnessed 

 the run that day. 



September ^th. — The hounds met yesterday ; the 



