Part 21 (2/2)

She descended the slope of the mountain until she reached thedue east, when she turned away toward the north, and kept on at a good pace

In five minutes more she heard the sharp yelp of discovery, and then the deep-mouthed howl of pursuit The hounds had struck her trail where she turned, and the faas safe

For the moment fear left her, and she bounded on with the exaltation of triu pace, clearing the bushes with bound after bound, flying over the fallen logs, pausing neither for brook nor ravine The baying of the hounds grew fainter behind

After running at high speed perhaps half a mile farther, it occurred to her that it would be safe now to turn to the west, and, by a wide circuit, seek her fawn But at the moment she heard a sound that chilled her heart It was the cry of a hound to the west of her There was nothing to do but to keep on, and on she went, with the noise of the pack behind her

In fiveShe heard a tinkle of bells Below her, down the s broken by patches of woods A mile or tn lay the valley and the farmhouses That way also her enemies were Not a merciful heart in all that lovely valley She hesitated; it was only for an instant

She ain the mountain opposite She bounded on; she stopped What was that? Fro hound Every as closed but one, and that led straight down the mountain to the cluster of houses

The hunted doe went down ”the open,” clearing the fences, flying along the stony path

As she approached Slide Brook, she saw a boy standing by a tree with a raised rifle The dogs were not in sight, but she could hear the down the hill There was no time for hesitation With a tremendous burst of speed she cleared the strea” of a rifle bullet in the air above her The cruel sound gave wings to the poor thing

In a moment more she leaped into the travelled road Women and children ran to the doors and s; men snatched their rifles There were twenty people ere just going to shoot her, when the doe leaped the road fence, and went away across a s, panting and lolling out their tongues, ca the trail, like stupids, and consequently losing ground when the deer doubled But when the doe had got into the ti across the h, perhaps, to say that nobody offered to shoot the dogs)

The courage of the panting fugitive was not gone, but the fearful pace at which she had been going told on her Her legs trembled, and her heart beat like a trip-haht bank of the streaain, and she crossed the broad, deep brook The fording of the river threw the hounds off for a ti was faint in her ears

Late in the afternoon she staggered down the shoulder of Bartlett, and stood upon the shore of the lake If she could put that piece of water between her and her pursuers, she would be safe Had she strength to swiht that sent her back with a bound There was a boat ; the other had a gun in his hand What should she do? With only a s could not propel the tired body rapidly

The doe saw the boat nearing her She turned to the shore whence she ca there She turned again to the centre of the lake The brave, pretty creature was quite exhausted now In a moment more the boat was on her, and the ht her

”Knock her on the head with that paddle!” he shouted to the gentleentleman, with a kind face He took the paddle in his hand Just then the doe turned her head and looked at hi eyes

”I can't do it! I can't do it!” and he dropped the paddle ”Oh, let her go!”

But the guide slung the deer round, and whipped out his hunting-knife

And the gentleht of the venison

CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (Adapted)

THE INCHCAPE ROCK

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea, The shi+p was as still as she could be; Her sails from heaven received no motion, Her keel was steady in the ocean

Without either sign or sound of their shock, The waves flowed over the Inchcape Rock; So little they rose, so little they fell, They did not move the Inchcape Bell