36 STAG- HUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



Then as to the hunting : " It was the plan last year 

 to begin tufting at nine o'clock precisely^ if the covert 

 were not a great distance from kennel, in which case 

 we began at ten and tufted till one o'clock, when, if 

 unsuccessful, we run a hind. But never took the 

 hounds out without the determination of running." 

 We wonder how many of the present large fields 

 would appear if the hounds commenced tufting at 

 nine A.M. But Lord Graves is not satisfied even with 

 that. "We should begin tufting at eight o'clock in- 

 stead of ten or eleven as heretofore ; at that late hour 

 we have generally missed our deer." The next 

 paragraph will probably excite a smile in those who 

 are accustomed to hunt with the present pack, but it 

 was just enough in the days of the old, heavy, true 

 staghounds. 



"If it can possibly be avoided a young male deer 

 should never be fun : such a chase kills the hounds 

 and horses, or renders them unserviceable for a fort- 

 night, without killing the light galloping deer you 

 pursue." Lord Graves wrote with some feeling on 

 this point, for the first stag he ever saw killed was of 

 the light galloping sort, and ran from Castle Hill to 

 the borders of Dartmoor, the whole process lasting 

 six hours and a half. The rest of the letter is taken 



