ich no long time before had been
clipped and dressed. A final turn brought us into a _cul de sac_; and
there we were, in a kind of small arbour carpeted with turf, and so
perfectly hedged in as to afford no exit save by the entrance. Here the
dog placidly stood and wagged its tail, looking up at us.

I must confess that this termination of the adventure seemed so
surprising, and the evening light shining on the level walls of green
about us was so full of a solemn quiet, that I was not surprised to hear
La Trape mutter a prayer. For my part, assured that something more than
chance had brought me hither, I dismounted and spoke encouragement to
the hound. But it only leapt upon me. Then I walked round the tiny
enclosure, and presently I discovered, close to the hedge, three small
patches, where the grass was slightly beaten or trodden down. A second
glance told me more; I saw that at these places the hedge about three
feet from the ground was hacked and hollowed. I stooped, until my eyes
were level with the hole thus made, and discovered that I was looking
through a funnel skilfully cut in the wall of box. At my end the
opening was rather larger than a man's face; at the other end not as
large as the palm of the hand. The funnel rose gradually, so that I took
the farther extremity of it to be about seven feet from the ground, and
here it disclosed a feather dangling on a spray. From the light falling
strongly on this, I judged it to be not in the hedge, but a pace or two
from it on the hither side of another fence of box. On examining the
remaining loopholes, I discerned that they bore upon the same feather.

My own mind was at once made up, but I bade my valet go through the same
investigation, and then asked him whether he had ever seen an ambush of
this kind laid for game. He replied that the shot would pass over the
tallest stag, or aught but a man on horseback; and fortified by this, I
mounted without saying more, and we retraced our steps. The hound, which
had doubtless the habit, as some dogs have, of accompanying the first
person who held out the prospect of a walk, presently left us, and
without further adventure we reached the Chateau a little after sunset.

I expected to be received by the King with some displeasure, but it
chanced that a catarrh had kept him within doors all day; and unable to
hunt or visit his new flame, he had been at leisure, in this palace
without a court, to consider the imprudence he wa