2i6 STAGHUNTING WITH THE 



long one. The romantic depths of Combe 

 Sydenham, the thickets of Tilsey plantations and 

 the fern brakes of Elworthy Combe, are still 

 favoured by wandering units of the Haddon and 

 Slowley herds and it was w^ith one of these that 

 the following chase occurred. 



The run took place on Saturday, 15th Sep- 

 tember, 1900, with a galloping three-year-old deer 

 from Parson's Close Plantation near Luxborough. 

 Two deer had been slotted by the harbourer 

 where they left their feeding ground adjoining 

 the dense shelter of the plantation, one of 

 these being presumably a warrantable deer, and 

 the other turning out to be a galloper of the 

 most fleet footed description. Although the 

 time of year has come when a light bodied 

 deer may be hunted with good prospect of 

 sport, the ground is still so drv that it is not 

 an undertaking to be entered upon without due 

 cause. The covert, however, Iving detached as 

 it does, affords anv deer found in it opportunity 

 of choosing at least three lines of country over 

 which the going is good, and wherein fresh deer 

 are not over likely to be encountered. The 

 tufters had not been at work many minutes 

 when a male deer with brows, trays and uprights 

 was roused and driven away. Woodman dashing 

 at him with a speed which set him going to such 

 a tune that it took three hours of steady hunting 

 to come up with him. At first, of course, the 



