rt off after the longer-eared
animal; and the hare started from its form in some dry tussock grass,
went off with its soft fur streaked to its sides with the heavy dew, and
was soon out of reach.

Then a great grey flapped-wing heron rose from a tiny mere and sailed
heavily away.

That pool had to be searched as far as its margin was concerned; and as
it was plainly evident that birds only had visited it lately, the line
moved on again just as the red disk of the sun appeared above the mist,
and in one minute the grim grey misty moor was transformed into a vast
jewelled plain spangled with myriads upon myriads of tiny gems,
glittering in all the colours of the prism, and sending a flash of
hopeful feeling into the boys' breasts.

"Oh!" cried Macey; "isn't it lovely! I am glad I came."

"Yes," said Gilmore; and then correcting himself. "Who can feel glad on
a morning like this!"

"I can," said Macey, "for it all makes me feel now that we are stupid to
think anything wrong can have happened to poor old Weathercock. He's
all right somewhere."

Something akin to Macey's feeling of light-heartedness had evidently
flashed into the hearts of all in the line, for men began to shout to
one another as they hurried on with more elasticity of tread; they made
lighter of their difficulties, and no longer felt a chill of horror
whenever Rounds summoned all to a halt, while the doctor passed along
the line to examine some cotton-rush dotted margin about a pool.

Working well now, the line pressed on steadily in the direction of
Lenby, and a couple of miles must have been gone over when a halt was
called, and after a short discussion in the centre, the churchwarden
came panting along the line giving orders as he went till he reached the
end where the three pupils were.

"Now, lads," he cried, "we're going to sweep round now, like the
soldiers do--here by this patch of bushes. You, Mr Distin, will march
right on, keeping your distance as before, and go the gainest way for
the wood yonder, where you'll find the little stream. Then you'll keep
back along that and we shall sweep that side of the moor till we get to
the lane again."

"But we shall miss ever so much in the middle," cried Gilmore.

"Ay, so we shall, lad, but we'll goo up along theer afterwards, and
back'ards, and forwards till we've been all over."

"But, I say," cried Macey, "you don't think we shall find him here, do
you?"

"Nay, I don't, lad; but the d