rung
for the opening, Bill's legs were thrust from under him, and as he
stumbled, with one hand on the ground and an oath on his lips, Finn
reached the open road outside. Behind him, for a moment, Finn heard
a hurried scrambling, and a deal of broken, breathless whistling,
and calling aloud of his name. And then he heard no more from the
place of his captivity and anguish, for the reason that he was
already nearing the limits of the little town, and galloping hard
for the open country, over the road by which he had travelled some
ten hours earlier in Matey's cart.

[Illustration: The gate leading into the yard opened, and Bill
appeared]

Finn galloped for about three miles, his heart swelling within him
for joy in his freedom. Then, gradually, his gait slackened to a
canter, and then to a trot, and, finally, the sight of a wayside
pond brought him to a standstill; and, after a mechanical look
behind him, he walked into the water and drank, and drank, and
drank till he could drink no more. Finn emerged from the pond with
heaving flanks and dripping muzzle, conscious now of some of his
hurts and bruises, but licking his wet chops with satisfaction, and
supremely glad of his freedom. He lay down on the grass near the
pond and proceeded to lick those of his wounds and bruises which
were within licking reach, and to pity himself regarding the sharp
pain in his side which his broken rib was causing. Presently a cart
came jolting along from the direction in which Finn had come, and
the Wolfhound shrank back as far as possible into the hedge behind
him. But the driver of the cart took no further notice of Finn than
to stare idly at him, possibly without even seeing him; at all
events with an absolutely incurious stare. With renewed confidence,
the young hound stretched himself out again on the cool grass and
presently began to doze, this being the wise manner of all his kind
in assisting Nature to cure them of their various ills.

While Finn dozed, another cart approached him from the little town
he had left behind, and in this second cart were two extremely
angry men, one of whom strongly desired Finn's recapture on
mercenary grounds, while the other desired it upon these grounds
and others also. Bill wanted his share of Finn's price; Matey
wanted his larger share of that price, and he also wanted badly to
have Finn securely tied up in a convenient position for being
soundly beaten. Matey would almost rather have foreg