176 STAG-HUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



the leading tufters they make off to him, and catching- 

 the line race away again best pace. Now we must 

 get on after Arthur ourselves, or he will have the pack 

 out and laid on before we reach him. The ground is 

 sticky, some would call it boggy, but the old man is 

 galloping hard, and getting on to firmer ground scuttles 

 away harder than before. The reason is apparent ; if 

 he do not reach the bottom of the hill before the 

 tufters he will not be able to stop them, and there is 

 no one of those on whom we relied to do this for us in 

 sight. Gallop as he may, " Barrister" and " Romulus" 

 are not to be caught ; and though Arthur finishes bril- 

 liantly down a place where most men would sooner 

 walk, they beat him by a short head. No chance to 

 catch them now, and the master at once turns for the 

 Doone Valley close by to get the pack. But then, 

 blessed sight ! appears suddenly one of the two sporting 

 brothers straight in front of the two hounds ; he cannot 

 see them under the hill, but some unaccountable instinct 

 has brought him there in the nick of time. *' Below 'ee, 

 sir, below 'ee," shouts Arthur; and though our friend 

 has not heard a word he gallops down, and catching 

 sight of "Barrister" is ahead of him in no time. " Bar- 

 rister" promptly takes the hint and sits down, inwardly 

 hoping that he will presently be left alone, when he 



