WAR TIME AND AFTER. 253- 



sieie mucli more of that hunt. I noticed, however, that scent 

 in the open was as good as it had been bad in the oowert. 



Probably many who go regularly to the Devon and Somerset 

 for the autumn stag hunting have little idea aa to what effect 

 the winter climate has upon the sport when the hind is the 

 quarry, and I may instance an experience I had a few days 

 after the hunt which has just been mentioned. The meet waa 

 at Hawkcombe Head and I motored with two- friends from 

 Minehead. It was a beautiful morning when we started, a 

 bright sun and dry roads all the way to Porlock, and the 

 same statie of weather prevailed until we werei about a third. 

 of the way up the new road through Porlock Banks. There 

 we noticed a change from sunshine toi fog, and a.s we gi^adually 

 reached the top of the long, winding hill we became more and 

 niore enveloped in the mist.. At Hawkcombe Head it was 

 impoQsdble toi see more than about seventy or eighty yards, but 

 houndsi were there, and very quickly a field of at least forty 

 gathered up. By this time we were in a fine, wetting rain, 

 and the pack were taken to Birchanger Farm, while tufters 

 went down to Porlock Banks. Hinds were quickly found, and 

 it was not long before one was separated and driven to the 

 open moor just above Birchanger. Soon three couples of tuf ters 

 were in pursuit, but these were lost immediately on the moor, 

 and after a longish wait other tufters werei released, and 

 another hind sent away. Exactly the same thing happened,, 

 it being quite impossible toi follow hounds on the high ground. 

 The body of the pack were then taken toi Porlock Banks, and 

 this time they hunted a hind whoi stuck to the lower ground. 

 It was all covert work, however, and about threei o'clock we 

 regained the car and began our homeward journey. As we 

 descended the hill — by this time wei werei veiry wet. — the light 

 got better every yard, and we reached Porlock toi find the same 

 sunshine and dry roads we had left somei four and a half hours 

 before. 



On another day I saw, practically, the whole of a good hind 

 hunt from a car. The me©t was at. Wheddon Cross, the hind 

 which hounds followed was found at Oakrow, came up to Cut- 

 oombe, and then sinking the hill ran by the lower slopes of 

 Dunken-y to the lower end of Homer Wood, and on over the 

 hill to Porlock, where she was taken in a cottage garden. By 



