that if he did anything to those girths he ought to let them a
little loose.

"You greedy pig!" he said, patting the horse affectionately, "eating
away like that and enjoying yourself when your master starves."

The horse whinnied.

"Ah! don't do that," said Nic in alarm. "You would spoil everything."

He mounted and cantered back for a good two miles, finding no
difficulty, for the horse went over the same ground again. Then Nic
drew rein and walked on and on till he thought he must have missed the
place in the dark; but all at once below him he saw a faint light move
for a few moments, and disappear.

Evidently a lantern which some one had carried into the house.

Nic checked his horse for quite a quarter of an hour, and then walked it
slowly down the slope, till there, dimly showing up before him, he could
make out building after building, looming all dim and ghostly-looking,
but plain enough to one whose eyes had grown accustomed to the dark.

But there were fences to avoid, and there was an enclosed garden; so the
boy felt that the wisest plan would be to take a pretty good circuit
round and then go up to the back.

Starting to do this, he was very nearly thrown, for Sorrel suddenly made
a tremendous bound and cleared a large tree trunk, which had been felled
and lay denuded of all its branches right across his way.

This was a shock; and it had other effects, for at the heavy beat of
hoofs a deep-mouthed dog suddenly set up a tremendous bark, which was
taken up by half a dozen more in chorus, accompanied by the rattling of
chains in and out of kennels.

Nic paused, with his heart beating, but the barking went on, and a voice
was heard to shout faintly:

"Lie down!"

But the dogs still barked, and a window was opened and a loud voice,
which Nic recognised, shouted:

"Hullo! What is it, my lads?"

The barking turned to a burst of whimpering and whining, and after a few
sharp commands to lie down Nic heard the window closed; and the rattling
of the dogs' chains began again, a whimper or two, and then all was
silent once more.

Meanwhile Nic had peered carefully round, and became aware of the fact
that there were several pieces of timber lying about, as if a group of
trees had been felled where he stood, and cautiously dismounting and
leading his horse, he began to guide it out of the dangerous place.

But he had hardly achieved this when the barking broke out again, making
Nic mount and ride s