2o6 STAGHUNTING WITH THE 



What are they up to, I wonder ? I don't 

 know at all that things look healthy, I shall go 

 on. Oh bother 'em ! they're all coming now, 

 and there is a whole pack of hounds ! This 

 won't do at all. I must go right on to Nutscale 

 as quicklv as I can, as it's confoundedly hot 

 and my winter coat is nearly half grown too. 

 Here's the Porlock road ; now it is all down 

 hill and I can go a bit faster. Surely I shall 

 wind some other deer in Nutscale Brake. No, 

 there don't seem to be any. Shall I stop and 

 have a try round? I don't suppose it would do, 

 they might be coming on, for if I can smell so 

 well perhaps they can too. Here's the water ! 

 This is delicious, I should like to roll in it for 

 half-andiour, but I won't, I'll be off again. 

 Here's a sloping path. I'll run up that, it is 

 easier travelling than over the heather and 

 stones. Here's Wilmersham Wood. I'll just slip 

 down through the trees and cross the water and 

 get up the other side of Ley Hill, and then I 

 can look back and see if it is all c^uiet. It is 

 rather a grind getting up through the wood and 

 my horns are so wide and so big that every 

 twig seems to catch them. What a rate I've 

 come to be sure! I'll just skip over the top 

 and get down into Horner W^ood, and then if 

 thev follow me as far as that I must run the 

 woods and put up fresh deer, and it's sure 

 to be all right. I know there are a lot of deer 



