This part of the wood had been certainly deserted, but now that
the poor deer had run, she was like a messenger he should have sent
before him to announce his coming; and instead of pushing farther, he
turned him to the nearest well-grown tree, and rapidly began to climb.

Luck had served him well. The oak on which he had mounted was one of the
tallest in that quarter of the wood, and easily out-topped its neighbours
by a fathom and a half; and when Dick had clambered into the topmost fork
and clung there, swinging dizzily in the great wind, he saw behind him
the whole fenny plain as far as Kettley, and the Till wandering among
woody islets, and in front of him, the white line of high-road winding
through the forest. The boat had been righted--it was even now midway on
the ferry. Beyond that there was no sign of man, nor aught moving but
the wind. He was about to descend, when, taking a last view, his eye lit
upon a string of moving points about the middle of the fen. Plainly a
small troop was threading the causeway, and that at a good pace; and this
gave him some concern as he shinned vigorously down the trunk and
returned across the wood for his companion.

CHAPTER IV--A GREENWOOD COMPANY

Matcham was well rested and revived; and the two lads, winged by what
Dick had seen, hurried through the remainder of the outwood, crossed the
road in safety, and began to mount into the high ground of Tunstall
Forest. The trees grew more and more in groves, with heathy places in
between, sandy, gorsy, and dotted with old yews. The ground became more
and more uneven, full of pits and hillocks. And with every step of the
ascent the wind still blew the shriller, and the trees bent before the
gusts like fishing-rods.

They had just entered one of the clearings, when Dick suddenly clapped
down upon his face among the brambles, and began to crawl slowly backward
towards the shelter of the grove. Matcham, in great bewilderment, for he
could see no reason for this flight, still imitated his companion's
course; and it was not until they had gained the harbour of a thicket
that he turned and begged him to explain.

For all reply, Dick pointed with his finger.

At the far end of the clearing, a fir grew high above the neighbouring
wood, and planted its black shock of foliage clear against the sky. For
about fifty feet above the ground the trunk grew straight and solid like
a column. At that level, it split into two massi