122 THE RED DEER OF EX MOOR. 



more over the worst of the stony ground down 

 towards Webber's Post, then short back to the left, 

 and all along the ridge of Dunkery, right back to the 

 wet ground. This was the best bit of the day, for 

 though we were within the hurricane belt most of the 

 time, the going is not so bad as in some parts. As 

 a hard rider expressed it, " There is some room here 

 for one's head between tire stones, " with luck." 

 Struggling through a belt of wet ground, we bore 

 away right-handed, and came back to Sweet Tree. 

 Here there was a momentary check, and we were 

 joined by half-a-dozen more riders. Four hinds went 

 one way and four another, hounds sticking closely to 

 the second lot. Away we went over Dunkery again, 

 into the hurricane belt and along the south slope 

 once more. Just as we came to the road we met 

 the hinds coming back, one of them lagging behind 

 and labouring a little. 



"That's the one we've been after all the time," 

 said Anthony, as he cheered hounds on, and once 

 again we were enveloped in the fog, hounds frying 

 forward faster, if anything, than before. Turning 

 short back by Row Barrows we once more had to 

 flounder through the edge of the soft ground and 

 sink the hill towards Sweet Tree, where we met our 

 hind coming back, having changed her companions 

 for four fresh stags. They disappeared into the 

 cloud on the hill-top, and it was not till we had 

 galloped a long way that we found we had missed 

 the hind and were running out to the forest, so 



