Part 9 (1/2)

But I saw so The house stood almost on the summit of a swell of her point nearer than the big hills six ish clump of trees--firs mostly, with a few ashes and beeches On the dovecot I was almost on a level with the tree-tops, and could see what lay beyond The as not solid, but only a ring, and inside was an oval of green turf, for all the world like a big cricket-field

I didn't take long to guess what it was It was an aerodroly chosen For suppose anyone atching an aeroplane descending here, he would think it had gone over the hill beyond the trees As the place was on the top of a rise in theamphitheatre, any observer from any direction would conclude it had passed out of view behind the hill

Only a man very close at hand would realize that the aeroplane had not gone over but had descended in the midst of the wood An observer with a telescope on one of the higher hills ht have discovered the truth, but only herds went there, and herds do not carry spy-glasses When I looked from the dovecot I could see far away a blue line which I kneas the sea, and I grew furious to think that our ene-tower to rake our ays

Then I reflected that if that aeroplane came back the chances were ten to one that I would be discovered So through the afternoon I lay and prayed for the colad I hen the sun went down over the big western hills and the twilight haze crept over thewas far advanced when I heard the beat of wings and saw it volplaning doard to its hohts twinkled for a bit and there wasfrom the house Then the dark fell, and silence

Thank God it was a black night The moon ell on its last quarter and would not rise till late My thirst was too great to allow e, I started to descend It wasn't easy, and half-way down I heard the back door of the house open, and saw the gleaby the ivy and prayed that whoever it ould not coht disappeared, and I dropped as softly as I could on to the hard soil of the yard

I crawled on my belly in the lee of a stone dyke till I reached the fringe of trees which surrounded the house If I had kno to do it I would have tried to put that aeroplane out of action, but I realized that any attempt would probably be futile I was pretty certain that there would be soh the wood on hands and knees, feeling carefully every inch before me It was as well, for presently I caround If I had tripped over that, it would doubtless have rung some bell in the house and I would have been captured

A hundred yards farther on I found another wire cunningly placed on the edge of a small stream Beyond that lay the moor, and in five minutes I was deep in bracken and heather Soon I was round the shoulder of the rise, in the little glen from which the , and I was soaking down pints of the blessed water

But I did not stop till I had put half a dozen

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Dry-Fly Fisherman

I sat down on a hill-top and took stock ofvery happy, for my natural thankfulness at my escape was clouded by my severe bodily discomfort Those lentonite fu hours on the dovecot hadn't helpedheadache, and felt as sick as a cat Also ht it was only a bruise, but it see, and I had no use of e, recover arments, and especially Scudder's note-book, and then et back to the south It seen Office man, Sir Walter Bullivant, the better I didn't see how I could get ot already He must just take or leave my story, and anyith him I would be in better hands than those devilish Gerun to feel quite kindly towards the British police

It was a wonderful starry night, and I had not iven me the lie of the land, and all I had to do was to steer a point or test of south-west to come to the stream where I had met the roadman In all these travels I never knew the names of the places, but I believe this stream was no less than the upper waters of the river Tweed I calculated I hteen et there beforeSo I ure to be seen in the sunlight I had neither coat, waistcoat, collar, nor hat, my trousers were badly torn, and my face and hands were black with the explosion I daresay I had other beauties, for ether I was no spectacle for God-fearing citizens to see on a highroad

Very soon after daybreak I made an attempt to clean e, for I was feeling the need of food The herd ay frohbour for five h she got a fright when she saw me, she had an axe handy, and would have used it on any evil-doer I told her that I had had a fall--I didn't say how--and she saw by my looks that I was pretty sick

Like a true Saave me a bowl of milk with a dash of whisky in it, and let me sit for a little by her kitchen fire She would have bathed my shoulder, but it ached so badly that I would not let her touch it

I don't knohat she took lar, perhaps; for when I wanted to pay her for the n which was the s about 'giving it to thely that I think she believed ave me a warm new plaid for it, and an old hat of her man's She showed me horap the plaid aroundie of the kind of Scotsman you see in the illustrations to Burns's poems But at any rate I was ed before midday to a thick drizzle of rain I found shelter below an overhanging rock in the crook of a burn, where a drift of dead brackens htfall, waking very cra like a toothache I ate the oatcake and cheese the old wife had given

I pass over thethe wet hills There were no stars to steer by, and I had to do the best I could from my memory of the map Twice I lost s I had only about ten o as the crow flies, but my mistakes made it nearer twenty The last bit was coht and dizzy head But Iat Mr Turnbull's door The e I could not see the highroad

Mr Turnbull hi more than sober

He was primly dressed in an ancient but well-tended suit of black; he had been shaved not later than the night before; he wore a linen collar; and in his left hand he carried a pocket Bible At first he did not recognize in' here on the Sabbath mornin'?' he asked

I had lost all count of the days So the Sabbath was the reason for this strange decoru so wildly that I could not franized ot my specs?' he asked

I fetched theave him them

'Ye'll hae come for your jaicket and westcoat,' he said 'Come in-bye