HE CHOOSES A SEAT 41 



oats he caught the rank scent of an enemy — 

 luckily in time to avoid it and withdraw without 

 being discovered. Now and again he stopped to 

 nibble a bit of tempting herbage ; but he did 

 not settle down to feed until the small hours, 

 when he returned to the clover. Here he 

 remained till the first flush in the sky warned 

 him he must seek a retreat in which to pass 

 the day. Twice he made towards the gate as 

 if he were leaving the field, as often retraced 

 his steps, presently repaired to the spot where 

 the clover was most luxuriant, and lay there. 

 No sooner, however, had he sat down than he 

 realised that the stems which shut out the sight 

 of everything prevented him from seeing an 

 enemy, should one approach. The lack of out- 

 look troubled him : soon he imagined that he 

 could hear the faint sound of a stealthy footfall. 

 To satisfy himself that he was mistaken he 

 kept raising his head and looking round until, 

 unable to endure the misery any longer, he 

 stole from the seat and hurried back to the 

 highest part of the farm, where a hedge had 

 taken his fancy as he had crossed from the 

 barley to the oats. 



There, amongst the coarse grasses, beneath 

 the fronds of a solitary brake-fern, he sat with 

 his face to the dawn-wind, which played with his 



D 2 



