242 STAGHUNTING WITH THE 



venison out of reach of the waves, while one 

 has to keep a watchful eye on the swift advances 

 of the tide, lest one be cut off from one's only 

 path of return to the heights above. When 

 the sea is calm enough the Porlock Weir boat 

 will take off the carcase of the slain deer, and 

 with a favourable breeze, will be back at the 

 beach in front of the Anchor Hotel before the 

 last horseman has fairly regained the Lynton 

 Road. In climbing up again from the wild and 

 desolate scene on the beach, in times of heavy 

 rainfall the scanty foothold is especially yielding 

 and treacherous, each tuft of grass or mountain 

 shrub mav come awav bv the roots as one 

 grasps it in struggling up, and the rolling stones 

 are more than ever liable to form a miniature 

 avalanche and hurry the adventurous hunter 

 down to the hungry rocks below. A few 

 hundred yards out some heavily freighted 

 pleasure steamer is generally to be seen speeding 

 homewards to Cardiff or Weston-super-Mare, 

 its decks packed with tourists who have been 

 having a happy day at Lynmouth or Ilfracombe ; 

 if the evening is hne, the sound of music floats 

 clear across the gently heaving waters. Then as 

 the harvest sun dips into its western bed, in a 

 glory of cloud colouring, the sombre cliffs light 

 up with all manner of shades of lake and 

 carmine and purple, the pearl grev sea blushes 

 with a pale pink radiance, and even the stunted 



