RIDING AT STAG-HOUNDS 



many a long hour of cold hunting, slotting, 

 scouring the country for information, and other 

 drawbacks to enjoyment of his chase. As he 

 says himself, " The worst of a deer is, you can't 

 leave off when you like. Nobody will believe 

 you if you swear it went to ground ! " 



Part of the country in his immediate neighbour- 

 hood seems made for stag-hunting. Large fields, 

 easy slopes, light fences, and light land, with here 

 and there a hazel copse, bordering a stretch for 

 three or four miles of level turf, like Launceston 

 Down, or Blandford racecourse, must needs tempt 

 a deer to go straight no less than a horseman ; 

 but the animal, as I have said, is unaccountably 

 capricious, and if we could search his lordship's 

 diary I believe we should find his best runs have 

 taken place over a district differing in every respect 

 from the above. 



As soon as the leaves are fallen sufficiently to 

 render the Blackmoor Vale rideable, it is his 

 greatest pleasure to take the blood-hounds down to 

 those deep, level, and strongly-enclosed pastures, 

 over which, notwithstanding the size and nature 

 of the fences, he finds his deer (usually hinds) run 

 remarkably well, and make extraordinary points. 

 Ten miles, on the ordnance map, is no unusual 

 distance, and is often accomplished in little more 

 than an hour. For men who enjoy riding I can 

 conceive no better fun. Not an acre of plough 

 p 207 



