HUNTING THE WILD FALLOW DEEP.. 443 



distance to break in a fitting direction. Some yeomen foresters 

 dismounted, pipe in mouth, to deliberate aloud, and in west 

 country tongue, upon the sandgraven slot giving it as their 

 opinion that 'twas a small pricket or else a doe. But this 

 testimony did not appear in evidence. The afternoon was 

 waning, and orders were given that the pack should be laid on. 

 This upon the road twixt Ring wood and Romsey near the 

 sixth milestone, if I remember right, from the former place. 

 Whatever the deer was, it had not gone more than a few 

 minutes ; so there was every chance of a scent and likelihood 

 of a run. Quietly they were unbuckled, and quietly carried to 

 the line. They wanted no telling of what was in prospect, but 

 at once dashed at their work with the eagerness of highbred 

 foxhounds and the readiness of taught staghounds a pack, too, 

 be it remembered, that is accustomed to taste blood almost 

 every time it goes out. 



Swinging into the trail at their second fling, they caught the 

 direction in a moment, and were away at high speed over the 

 smooth moorland, till they struck the timber at Sluflers, and 

 threw their tongues heartily under the trees. Their deer had 

 waited for them ; and pace and chorus grew hot as they dashed 

 after him or her, unantlered ; while we rode and zigzagged our 

 best through the hollow pine-wood. Out over a boundary 

 bank and ditch, down into the little valley and across the 

 streamlet, up the yonder slope in deadly fear of rumoured bog. 

 They who know the country may afford to ride for point ; a 

 stranger's only chance is to keep hounds in view as long as he 

 can or surrender all individuality of action from first to last. 

 Providence, too, generally grants immunity to the ignorant 

 and is forbearing to those who trust her. Have we not seen 

 it in many a hunting field and on many an occasion besides ? 

 Ah ! Here it is : now we are in it : too late to go back, yet 

 evident peril ahead ! Flounder and struggle prayer and 

 imprecation. Hold up, old fellow ; we are safely out. Lucky 

 you know how 'tis to be done. A Leicestershire horse might 

 have been lying there now. The yellow moss wasn't visible 



