i68 STAGHUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



or they will give us the slip amongst fresh deer 

 in the Deer-park. Xow splash into the cool 

 Badgworthy stream ; let him bury his muzzle 

 deep in this cool, clear pool ; he'll go all the 

 better. Hark at those angry, eager notes just 

 above in the larch ; that's the line, depend on 

 it ! Now we must climb this sloping path ; hark 

 to Sidney, whistling above there I He has 

 galloped straight in from Two Gates, and, no 

 doubt, has viewed our stag. He waves Anthonv 

 towards the larches high up in Landcombe ; 

 two big male deer come bounding out, but 

 Anthony will have none of them. In his haste 

 one of them crosses his legs and turns clean 

 over. Then comes the prettiest sight we have 

 seen this season ; the hunted stag forced from 

 his shelter by the hounds, comes bounding 

 out from the same place as if to follow the 

 other two. But Anthony is too manv for him ; 

 he knows him at once, and with a cheer has 

 every hound on his line. One of them essays 

 to cut him off, but the great antlers are cjuickly 

 lowered, and the hound rolls over velping in 

 the heath. With staggering gait the beaten stag 

 now lurches across the plain into Woodcock 

 Combe and again sinks into the larches. There's 

 a moment of suspense as hounds bustle down 

 amongst the hr stems ; then Lord Ebrington 

 views him as he steals awav up the bottom, 

 and a moment later the master's horn rings out 



