and the hand together in his fist. The hand
writhed in his, but Hobb was too strong for it; and with a mighty tug
he dragged first the shoulder and then the head belonging to the hand
into view. They were the shoulder and head of the muddy man whom you,
dear maidens, have seen once before in this tale, but whom Hobb had
never seen till then. And Jerry said, "Drat these losers of caps! will
they NEVER be done with disturbing the newts and me? Tis the fifth in
a summer. And first there's one with a step like a wagtail, and next
there's one as bold as a hawk, and after him one as comely as a wild
swan, and last was one as wise as an owl. And now there's this one with
nothing particular to him, but he grips as hard as all the rest rolled
into one. Drat these cap-losers!"

Then Hobb who, for all his surprise to begin with, and his increase of
excitement as the muddy creature spoke, had never slackened his grasp,
said, "Old man, you are welcome to my cap if you will tell me what
happened to the wearers of the four other caps after they left you."

"How do I know what happened to em?" growled the muddy man. "For they
all went to High and Over, and after that twas nobody's business but
Wind's, who lives there."

"Where's High and Over?" said Hobb.

"Find out," said the muddy man, and gave a wriggle that did him no good.

"I will," said Hobb, "for you shall tell me." And he looked so sternly
at the muddy man that Jerry cringed, moaning:

"I thought by his voice twas a turtle, but I see by his eye tis an
eagle. If you must know you must. And south of Cradle Hill that's south
of Pinchem that's south of Hobb's Hawth that's south of the Burgh
that's south of this pond is where High and Over is. And I'll thank you
to let me go."

Nevertheless, when Hobb released him Jerry forgot the thanks and
disappeared into the mud taking the cap with him. But Hobb did not care
for his thanks. He hurried south as fast as his feet would carry him,
going by the places he knew and then by those he did not, till he came
at nightfall to High and Over.

And on High and Over a great wind was blowing from all the four
quarters of heaven at once. And Hobb was caught up in the crossways of
the wind, and turned about and about till he was dizzy, and all his
thoughts were churning in his brain, so that he could not tell one from
the other. And at the very crisis of the churning a voice in the wind
from the north roared in his ear:

"What do y