.252 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



at as I had only been in Tlorner Wood onoe before, and that 

 many years ago. At one o'clock we arrived at Pool Farm, but 

 hounds had not been there, and so we recro&sed the head of the 

 oombe more with a view of walking over a, hill, the name of 

 which escapes me, to Porlock aad the Minehead 'bus. I had 

 a good map in my pocket and soon found the track I wanted, 

 and then suddenly we came round a comer, and there in front 

 of us was the whole hunt, hounds being in a young plantation 

 which was in a fold of the hill, and which we on higher 

 ground could ste© all round. About thirty riders were drawn 

 up ; the huntsman was in the plantation on foot, and the deer 

 was apparently well hidden for hounds never spoke. By this 

 time I had interviewed some of the field, and discovered they 

 had brought the hind they were hunting from Annicombe, that 

 she had been seen to enter the young plantation, but hounds 

 had not been able to fresh fijid her within. 



As we watched from the higher ground the huntsman came 

 out, mounted his horse and took the pack round to the far 

 side, being evidently just a little suspicious that the hind might 

 have gone on before hounds came, as the ground fell away 

 somewhat abruptly just beyond the covert. While he was 

 casting his hounds my companion suddenly clutched my arm, 

 shouting: " Look, look, there's the deer in the wood." And 

 sure enough the man who had never seen a hunt of any sort 

 was quite right, the deer being for a moment visible, moving 

 quickly among the young trees in the thickest parti of the 

 plantation. A countryman standing near us also saw, and 

 hounds were quickly brought back. Once more the huntsman 

 went in on foot, hounds fresli found their quarry, and hunted 

 her up and down for ten minutes. Then there was a. sudden 

 silence, hounds having lost touch with the hind. The covert 

 appeared to be about as bad scenting ground as I ever saw, 

 but of conrse iti was certain the hind was still therei, for she 

 could not leave without being seen. ]\'ly friend and I were 

 still standing on the higher ground well back from the covert, 

 and once again it was the novice who saw the deer moving. 

 Hounds were taken toi the exact spot, and this time the deer 

 broke at once, and going right through the assembled field took 

 hounds over the moor towards Homer. I believe she was 

 taken near Lucoombe, but we on foot were too far behind to 



