in MAY-DAY ON THE EXE 35 



can bear me to the ancient town of Taunton, 

 and thence by a quaint simple-minded line 

 (the forerunner of the switchback) to the 

 other ancient town of Dulverton, and thence 

 by road up the valley of the Exe to the 

 prettiest village in Somersetshire. The wise 

 man, when he gets to Dulverton, will send 

 his luggage, indeed, by the dogcart that is 

 waiting for him, but himself, for it is but 

 three o'clock in the afternoon, will walk. 

 He may, if he pleases, breast the opposite 

 hill and plunge straight into the moor, so 

 shall his journey be shorter in point of miles. 

 But the man just escaped from London 

 should acclimatise himself to Exmoor gradu- 

 ally ; it is a little overpowering to step 

 straight on to it from Paddington, and 

 moreover, if it is his first visit, he may get 

 lost. 



Therefore let him take my advice and 

 follow the road that runs by the Exe, not 

 hurriedly as the earnest pedestrian, but 

 leisurely as befits the man with a whole 

 fortnight of spring before him. It is a 

 friendly road, amiably winding, with just 

 enough of undulation to make him glad 

 that he goes, as he was meant to go, on his 



