APPENDIX A. 193 



reluctance that those who had witnessed this curious but not un- 1857 

 frequent occurrence in the hfe of a stag, could tear themselves away 

 from scrutinising as closely as glasses would allow the movements 

 of this extremely independent old gentleman under the broom bush, 

 while he looked at us across the valley with apparent indifference and 

 contempt. Meanwhile the other stag had gone away by Stoke 

 Church. Pack laid on at 1.45. Away up Long Stream Combe to 

 the Culbone road, on behind Larkbarrow over Oare Common to 

 Badgworthy Water. Up the stream and hit the line the other side ; 

 lip the combe to the Lynton road and into Farley Bottom. Up the 

 stream a little way into Cheriton Combe. Here a check, and fresh 

 found him ; back over the Forest to Badgworthy Water, down under 

 the wood, and finally took him at Malsmead. Time from lay on, 

 three hours. Hoped to save him, but he had broken a blood-vessel. 

 Head given to Mr. Knight. 



October ^th, Cloutsham. — Ran a deer (supposed a hind) from 

 Parsonage furze in forty-five minutes to Badgworthy Wood, where he 

 was taken and saved — a young male deer. 



October 16th, Larkbarrow. — Found a herd of six or seven deer, 

 and laid on a single tufter. After much hard riding singled out a 

 hind and laid on by Buscombe. Ran over to the Lynton road and 

 over Blackpits (nasty ground) ; then instead of going down Farley 

 Bottom turned up over the Chains (still more nasty), and away as 

 straight as a line. Crossed by Exehead through the enclosures to 

 the Challacombe and Simonsbalh road by Huxtable's house ; came 

 to a check at the small stream here joining the Barle, where a good 

 half-hour was lost (the pack had overrun it a long way), till a holloa 

 brought them back and put them straight again. Carried on the line 

 across the road over awful ground to Mole's Chamber, leaving this a 

 little on the left, crossed Showlsbarrow Castle and down the combe 



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