less; but now and again, with crisp rattle of his gauze wings, a
dragon-fly flashed along the river. Through these scenes the Teign
rolled drowsily and with feeble pulses. Upon one bank rose the confines
of Whiddon; on the other, abrupt and interspersed with gulleys of
shattered shale, ascended huge slopes whereon a whole summer of sunshine
had scorched the heather to dry death. But fading purple still gleamed
here and there in points and splashes, and the lesser furze, mingling
therewith, scattered gold upon the tremendous acclivities even to the
crown of fir-trees that towered remote and very blue upon the uplifted
sky-line. Swallows, with white breasts flashing, circled over the river,
and while their elevation above the water appeared at times tremendous,
the abrupt steepness of the gorge was such that the birds almost brushed
the hillside with their wings. A sledge, laden with the timber of barked
sapling oaks, creaked and jingled over the rough road beside the stream;
a man called to his horses and a dog barked beside him; then they
disappeared and the spacious scene was again empty, save for its
manifold wild life and music.

John Grimbal fished, failed, and cursed the poor water and the lush
wealth of the riverside that caught his fly at every critical moment. A
few small trout he captured and returned; then, flinging down rod and
net, he called to his brother for the luncheon-basket. Together they sat
in the fern beside the river and ate heartily of the fare that Mrs.
Blanchard had provided; then, as John was about to light a pipe, his
brother, with a smile, produced a little wicker globe and handed it to
him. This unexpected sight awoke sudden and keen appetite on the elder's
face. He smacked his lips, swore a hearty oath of rejoicing, and held
out an eager hand for the thing.

"My God! to think I'll suck the smoke of that again,--the best baccy in
the wide world!"

The little receptacle contained a rough sort of sun-dried Kaffir
tobacco, such as John and Martin had both smoked for the past fifteen
years.

"I thought it would be a treat. I brought home a few pounds," said the
younger, smiling again at his brother's hungry delight. John cut into
the case, loaded his pipe, and lighted it with a contented sign. Then he
handed the rest back to its owner.

"No, no," said Martin. "I'll just have one fill, that's all. I brought
this for you. 'T will atone for the poor sport. The creel I shall leave
with you now