INTRODUCTION 5 



disproved on many occasions, though it is probably 

 true that very wet weatlier generally suits Haldon 

 better than the other extreme. 



One may almost venture to say that on Dartmoor 

 there is always a scent. The granite foundation is 

 covered to the depth of many feet by peat and topped 

 with virgin tm'f. There are no coverts on the Moor, 

 so foxes lie in the open, either in the bogs, or on the 

 open heather, or among the rocks with which the 

 face of the Moor is in many parts thickly strewn. 

 As a result, a fox often jumps up in view, and goes 

 away with the pack " right on his back." But these 

 foxes are very stout, descendants of those " Hectors 

 of the Moor " that, in days of yore, tested the stamina 

 of the hounds of Templer and of Bulteel, and they 

 stand a long time before hounds and frequently make 

 good their point in some distant tor or clitter of 

 rocks, secure from spade or terrier. One of these 

 sanctuaries is the big Rubble-heap at He}i:or, which, 

 as a valuable nursery, makes compensation for the 

 runs it robs us of. 



One of the curious featiues of the Moor is the 

 peculiar fascination it exercises over people, hunting 

 men included. I have known men come down to 

 South Devon to live, who had been accustomed to 

 hunting in good, rideable countries, and at first they 

 feared and hated Dartmoor. The hills, the rocks. 

 the rabbit holes and the bogs upset them, figuratively 

 and sometimes literally as well. But as soon as they 

 have had time to get used to these thincrs. thev come 

 to love Dartmoor and its hunting as much as we 

 natives do. Of this sort was a \asitor to Exmoor 

 that I met out with the Devon and Somerset. He 

 told me that at home his heart was in his mouth when 

 he jumped, but that it went back into its place 



