BEASTS OF THE CHASE. THE STAG. 37 



respect as that now under the deservedly popular heir of the 

 House of Fortescue, whose history furnishes a long list of 

 ardent supporters of the sport. That the ardour of the stag 

 hunter is incapable of being quenched by the devotion of a 

 lifetime will be readily admitted by those who have shared the 

 pleasures, excitements, and dangers of the chase with the many 

 veteran local sportsmen over whose shoulders nearly fourscore 

 years have passed harmlessly. 



Nothing, perhaps, strikes the stranger, on his first visit to 

 this historic hunting ground more than the enthusiasm for the 

 sport displayed by men of all ages and all classes of the 

 community. If he should be indiscreet enough to compare 

 the merits of stag hunting with those of fox hunting, his re- 

 marks will invariably meet with unveiled disapproval, coupled 

 with an oppressive load of commiseration. 



It is possible that stag hunting on the Exmoors and Quan- 

 tocks derives some of its fascination from their unique w'ildness 

 and picturesqueness. On emerging from the fertile Somerset- 

 shire valleys and sheltered Devonshire ' coombes ' and reaching 

 the Exmoors, the vast expanse of heather-clad moorland, with 

 its richly wooded ravines, stretching far away to the Bristol 

 Channel, is, as if by magic, brought within one's view ; and as 

 the sportsman canters briskly towards the far-famed Dunkery 

 Beacon, the romantic beauty of the surroundings, together with 

 the influence of the crisp mountain air, enables him readily to 

 understand the native stag hunter's enthusiasm. As he winds 

 his way to Cloutsham, and views, at about a mile distant, four 

 or five hinds, attended by their antlered lord, cantering up 

 a steep hillside, with their nostrils expanded and elevated, 

 expelling their heated breath, like curls of smoke from cottage 

 chimneys, he is fain to admit that no nobler quarry could be 

 found. 



In no other district of the British Isles can the sport of 

 hunting the wild Red Deer be enjoyed in the same perfection as 

 it is on the Exmoor. Therefore, we shall offer no apology for 

 referring to the methods practised in this district. 



