178 STAG-HUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



slip. But we have no time to think how he managed 

 to get there soon enough, nor does he care to say 

 more than that it is a pretty good hind, but not an 

 extraordinary big one. Away through the tall heather 

 and tangled grass of the "Deer Park," over the wet 

 ground at the top, with a murmured thanksgiving 

 when it is past; a faster gallop over firm ground 

 beyond, not slackened down the steep hill, to the first 

 stream we cross — Chalk Water. Arthur is across it 

 first, but the rest are not many yards behind, and all 

 on good terms with the pack. A scramble through 

 wet ground again, then again a return to sound turf 

 under a friendly fence ; still on over the yellow grass 

 of the edge of the King's Allotment, and again through 

 the tall heather of Porlock Common and into the oak 

 coppice of the deep combe called the Shilletts. We 

 gallop along the top with hounds still running hard 

 below us ; then suddenly a crash of music, and the 

 hind, or a hind, comes up in view to the common once 

 more. Still straight on pointing for Horner, and after 

 such a race Arthur looks hard up and down a stream 

 (Nutscale Water) which we are now approaching. No ! 

 She has turned back in the direction from which we 

 have come, and is not bound for Horner. Never mind, 

 it will do as well to kill her at Badgworthy. Alas, for 



