DEVON AND SOMERSET. 115 



and who can stav behind. Up at last bv the 

 turf heaps, now we can see them again, saihng 

 away on a breast high scent over Porlock 

 Common towards Hawkcombe Head. Xow let 

 us dodge through the wet ground, pop through 

 the sheep gap in the boundary wall, and sit 

 down to gallop over this mile or more of short 

 sound heather. That's better now, the good 

 little horse beneath us is catching hold of his 

 bit again, and soon will bring us up to those 

 specks ahead. Already thev look bigger as we 

 flv past Hawkcombe Head and come down to a 

 canter just through the gatewav of Lord Love- 

 lace's plantations. Now we'll extend him again 

 and thunder up the middle track way, for that 

 tail hound is evidentlv running the line, and 

 those foot-people are all looking towards Sil- 

 combe. There's Sidney on the right, keeping 

 an eye on the laggards lest thev stir up other 

 deer or drop behind altogether. Xow we must 

 leave this middle track, which has served us so 

 well, and strike off to the right through the 

 stubby pines and heather holding hard on the 

 snaffle, and guiding all we know between the 

 dead and dying treelets, or our headlong career 

 may come to a sudden close. A few minutes' 

 check in the top of Holmer Combe, just time 

 to draw breath, and away goes Anthony again, 

 blowing like Boreas, past the top of Twitchen 

 Combe, with the hounds on his left, and stays 



