o the combe beyond it, but he cared not, for he knew that
there again was water. He ran up it for a few yards, but only for a
few yards, for the hounds were still running their hardest, and he
must wait till the great slope of grass before him was past.

So he breasted it gallantly, up, and up, and up. The grass was thick
over the treacherous ground, but his foot was still too light to
pierce it, and he cantered steadily on. His mouth was growing parched,
but he still felt strong, and he knew that when the hill was crossed
he would find more water to welcome him. At last he reached the
summit, and there spread out before him were Dartmoor and the sea, and
far, far below him the haven of his choice; and the cool breeze from
the sea breathed upon his nostrils, and he gathered strength and hope.
There was still one more hollow to be crossed before he reached the
long slope down to the valley, but there was water in it, and he might
have time for a hasty draught. So still he pressed on with the same
steady stride, hoping that he might wait at any rate for a few minutes
in the stream, for thirst and heat were growing upon him, and he
longed for a bath. But no! it was dangerous to wait; and he turned
away sick at heart from the sparkling ripple, and faced the ascent
before him. And now the grass seemed to coil wickedly round his
dew-claws as if striving to hold them down; and he tugged his feet
impatiently from its grasp, though more than once he had half a mind
to turn back to the water. But he had chosen his refuge, and he
struggled gamely on.

At last he was at the top, and only one long unbroken slope of heather
lay between him and the valley that he knew so well; and he turned
into a long, deep combe which ran down to it, that he might not be
seen. Down, and down, and down he ran, steadying himself and
recovering his breath. At every stride he saw the trickle of water
from the head of the combe grow larger and larger as other trickles
joined it from every side, and he knew that he was near his refuge at
last. Presently he came upon a patch of yellow gorse, which had thrust
up its flaming head through the heather, and he plunged heavily
through it, knowing that it would check the hounds. Another few
hundred yards and he was within the covert, in the cool deep shade of
the oak-coppice, with the merry river brawling beneath him.

And he scrambled down eagerly through the trees and plunged into the
brown water. How delici