THE DOMAIN OF THE RED DEER. 5 



deer, the Bray valley coverts. From them the deer do 

 indeed occasionally stray southwards (in old times, it 

 is true, they were to be found all down the valley), 

 but here they abide permanently. The stream grows 

 narrower as we follow it up the valley, leaving many a 

 little tributary behind us ; its colour, too, is changed 

 — " clear amber water," as Kingsley hath it — sugges- 

 tive of peat bogs and bleak moors. 



About five miles above the deer park the river again 

 subdivides itself into East Bray and West Bray. We 

 will take the western or left-hand branch, and follow 

 it, leaving a great heather-clad common, rising purple 

 above the green woods, to our right, and on to a 

 great round-shouldered hill that faces us. On wind- 

 ing through the green combe, seamed by many a 

 cross combe bearing its tiny tributary to us, to the 

 west corner of the great barrier hill ; skirting its base, 

 through the little village of Challacombe, with its 

 quaint old church, and on between two farmhouses, 

 rising now higher and higher. The stream becomes 

 a mere torrent, the valley a little narrow combe, with 

 grey rocks everywhere thrusting their heads through 

 moss and fern. Steep climbing is it here ; but let us 

 climb on to the top, where at last we reach a plain of 

 red and yellow grass patched with black pits full of 



