272 STAGHUNTING WITH THE 



succeeding combe with the hounds, for although 

 one may hold one's own on the level plain 

 above, or in the rather abrupt descent to the 

 boulder strewn channel of the forest stream, 

 it is quite certain that when once the hounds 

 have struck the stag's point of departure on 

 the opposite side they 'will leave the best of 

 horses in the struggling climb to the next 

 hilltop, and to hurry a game hunter up such 

 hills as these must shortly bring him to a 

 standstill. When hounds are crossing country 

 where the hills are high and the combes 

 therefore deep, still more time must be taken, 

 and it is often far better to circumnavigate the 

 head of a long deep combe than to struggle 

 across its depths where the hounds actually 

 passed. Hills and gates take time, and the 

 breathless heat of the narrow valleys takes the 

 spring out of the freshest horse, and the longest 

 way round is often the shortest way home. 



A big horse on short legs is the one that 

 will see the end of more runs with the Devon 

 and Somerset than his stable mates, which might 

 perhaps be better suited for negotiating fences ; 

 deep girth is essential and the more pony and 

 thorough-bred he has in him the better. 



The stag-hunting district is so wide that it 

 covers several foxhunting and harrier territories, 

 and there come besides all manner of masters 

 of hounds from other parts, so that on some 



