loo STAGHUiNTING WITH THE 



in the neighbourhood was not forthcoming. So 

 Mr. Basset gave marching orders for Brayford, 

 and thither went most of the company in a 

 long procession up the Filleigh Road. First the 

 hounds and huntsman, then a hundred horse- 

 men or so, then a number of carriages, then 

 more horsemen, and so on. Some late arrivals 

 by train from Dulverton met the vanguard just 

 before the turn down into Brayford, and nicked 

 in most opportunely. Passing on through the 

 village of Bravford, till the bridge over Hole 

 Water was reached, the master had the coverts 

 between the Simonsbath Road and Sherracombe 

 drawn with the pack. Just before half-past 

 twelve a four-vear-old stag jumped up and went 

 away up the bottom of Sherracombe towards 

 Whiteheld Down, the whipper-in managing to 

 stop the tufters bv the ford. Huxtable's horse 

 was taken down Sherracombe Lane to meet him, 

 and he quicklv relinquished his tufting pony with 

 the little red danger signal on its tail. With 

 the exception of half-a-dozen horsemen, who 

 were waiting in position on the top of Whiteheld 

 Down, the bulk of the held were in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Poltimore Arms when the news 

 that something had gone away hrst spread. 



A few minutes' gallop brought all to the 

 grassy lane above Five Barrows Cross, where 

 the master was sounding a note in reply to 

 Tucker's whistle. 



