OF THE TAKING OF THE STAG. 107 



run a stag down through the park and coursed him 

 across a stretch of tide beach, half mud, half sand, 

 and all entered the water together — indeed, it looked 

 for a moment as if they had actually pulled him down, 

 but he got away, and the whole pack were far out to 

 sea by the time riders reached the water's edge. 

 The tide was running up very fast, and stag and 

 hounds were in the full set of the current. A horse- 

 man had some time before started to Watchet for a 

 boat, and eager eyes were cast on the mouth of 

 Watchet harbour, four miles off, for the boat which 

 seemed as thoug^h it would never come. Stag: and 

 hounds were long out of sight from the beach, though 

 horsemen a mile up the coast on the cliffs could see 

 them. A few hounds came ashore and dragged 

 themselves wearily to the sound of the horn. One 

 hound could be seen straining towards a rock some 

 five hundred yards away. He reached it and lay 

 exhausted. Would the boat arrive in time to save 

 him ? The tide was lapping up round the rock and 

 the boat was still a speck in the distance. Then the 

 water gained and the brave hound struck out once 

 more for the shore, which he gained amid general 

 rejoicing. Then the boat arrived and soon picked up 

 a couple or so of struggling hounds, put them ashore, 

 and went on out of sight while we waited. It was 

 nearly two hours since the pack had gone to sea, and 

 it seemed hardly credible that any could still be 

 alive in the water. Then we saw the boat returninir 

 towing the dead stag and with a couple of hounds 



