54 
FERNY COMBES. 
to feed his imagination, and here his name and the 
date of his death are engraven on the stone. There 
is a legend connected with this striking object. In 
deep snowstorms traces have been seen ascending 
to the highest summit, and on such nights the be- 
lated peasant has heard the cry of hound and horn 
on the fearful crag. 
What human huntsman would venture there in 
the broad daylight, much less when snow-wreaths 
are confounding hill and valley ? Some relate that 
the unearthly huntsman has been seen, swart as an 
Indian, tall as a tree, and unsubstantial as a moon- 
beam, striding from one peak to the other with a 
hunting spear, and no sooner seen than vanishing 
in darkness. 
In the valley below the Dewerstone flourishes 
Hymenophyllv/in unilaterale^ Lastrea dilatata va- 
lida, and another form of dilatata^ distinguished in 
the ‘ Nature Prints’ by the name oifuscipes. We 
turn with regret from this lovely spot, and extract- 
ing our horse from the miller’s stable (this man is 
certainly King Nutcracker), proceed over Shaugh 
Bridge up the precipice opposite towards Bickleigh. 
At the top we pause, and, looking backwards, the 
view is superb. Bickleigh Vale, with its rich woods, 
is at our feet ; Shaugh Prior church crowning the 
* Plate lY. Fig. 2. 
