r face too had changed, for it was no longer that of a girl but
of a beautiful woman, though just now it was sad and troubled. Her
eyes never left the figure of the man before her except when now and
again they filled with tears; and then she hastily brushed the tears
away with something white that she held in her hand, and looked at him
again.

But all the time the tapping behind them came closer and closer, and
the shots rang louder and louder, till at last the Deer could stand it
no longer, and dashed across the path and up over the hill. As they
passed they heard the man utter a loud halloo, and in an instant the
old Cock-Pheasant was on the wing and flying over the trees to cross
the valley. He rose higher and higher in the air, and presently from
the valley below came the report of two shots, then again of two
shots, and once more of two shots; and they heard the fair man laugh
loud after each shot. But the old Bird took not the slightest notice,
but flew on in the sight of the Deer till he reached the top of the
opposite hill, where he lighted on the ground, and ran away as fast as
his legs could carry him.

Then the Deer too crossed the valley further down, and stood in the
covert watching. And they saw a line of men in white smocks beat
through the covert to the very end, while the fair man and the girl
waited for them in the field outside. But presently another man came
riding up on a pony, and then all the men with guns came closing round
the fair man and seemed unwilling to let him go. But after a short
time he jumped on to the pony and trotted back along the path waving
his hand to them, while they waved their hands to him. Presently he
stopped to look back and wave his hand once more, and the girl waved
her white handkerchief to him, and then he set the pony into a gallop
and disappeared. But the other men went on, and the girl turned back
by herself very slowly and sadly. Then the shots began to ring out
again in the valley, and the Deer went away over the hill to the wood
whence the bullocks had driven them, and finding all quiet made their
home therein once more.

CHAPTER X

They had not been there many days when the old Cock-Pheasant came up
to them and invited them back to Bremridge Wood.

"I can assure you," he said very pompously, "that you shall not be
disturbed again for at least a year."

"Why, Sir Phasianus," said the Stag, "I thought you had vowed never to
enter it again."

"I