ed it with holes and sewed it together with gut
in this fashion:

(Four sketches of shaped hide showing stages of manufacture.)

This is quickly over in the telling, but it was long a-doing, so that
having wrought steadily all day, night was at hand ere her shoes were
completed, with two thicknesses of hide for soles and all sewed mighty
secure.

Now though they were not things of beauty (as may plainly be seen from
my drawing herewith) yet, once I had laced them snug upon her feet,
they (shaping and moulding themselves to her slender ankles and dainty
feet) were none so ill-looking after all. And now she, walking to and
fro in them, must needs admire at their construction and the comfort of
them, and very lavish in her praise of them and me; the which did
pleasure me mightily though I took pains to hide it.

"Why, Martin" says she, thrusting out a foot and wagging it to and fro
(very taking to behold), "I vow our cobbler surpasseth our carpenter!
Dian's buskins were no better, nay, not so good, judging by pictures I
have seen."

"They will at least keep out any thorns," says I, "though as to looks--"

"They look what they are, Martin, the shoes of a huntress. You will
find her very swift and sure-footed when her bruises are quite gone."

"I'm glad they please you," says I, yet upon my knees and stooping to
view them 'neath her petticoat, "though now I see I might better them
by trimming and shaping them here and there."

"No, no, Martin, leave well alone."

But now and all at once I started to feel a great splash of rain upon
my cheek, and glancing up saw the sky all overcast while seaward the
whole horizon was very black and ominous; great masses of writhing
vapour and these threatening clouds lit ever and anon by a reddish
glow, and pierced by vivid lightning flashes. All of which took us
mightily by surprise, we having been too intent upon these new buskins
to heed aught else.

"Yonder is storm and tempest," says I, "see how it sweeps towards us!"
And I pointed where, far across the dark sea, a line of foam marked the
oncoming fury of the wind. And presently we heard it, a faint hum,
growing ever louder and fiercer.

"O Martin, see yonder!" and she pointed to the onrushing of the foaming
waters. "'Tis very awful but very grand!"

"Let us go in!" says I, catching up my tools. "Come, soon will be
roaring havoc all about us!"

"Nay, let us stay awhile and watch."

As she spoke it seemed as the s