DEVON AND SOMERSET. 231 



between the sweet smelling moorland sheep, as 

 they scamper through the ferns, and their 

 lawful game, and to take no account of the 

 tempting odour of the fox cub, that scuttles 

 along the dewy green track between the expanses 

 of heather, and to pay no attention to the yellow 

 hare, that bounds from her form and strides 

 across the close cropped hilltops, w^th ears laid 

 back and pattering feet that kick the dusty 

 pollen from the heather bloom. 



The noiseless tread of all beasts of the 

 chase is a matter well worthy of observation ; 

 even a weary stag, galloping with failing stride 

 down the hard high road, is barely audible 

 except bv his laboured breath ; the fox just 

 unkennelled, rushing over the carpet of crisp 

 brown leaves in covert, makes no more sound 

 than a gust of wind, while a hunted hare 

 coming towards you as you sit silently on 

 your horse observing her, is audible more by 

 her panting breath in the still sunny mornings 

 of midwinter, than by her galloping feet on 

 the trodden pathway, where she tries to baffle 

 the chiming pack that will presently roll her 

 over. 



The horns of deer make a curious rattling 

 sound as thev rush through dense oak coppice, 

 and that sound once heard will be alwavs 

 recognised by one who loves the chase, and 

 when he hears it he will watch with keen 



