HE LANDS 69 



drenching and the consequent abandonment of 

 his plan. Twice he gathered himself to spring ; 

 as often he drew back ; he was not satisfied 

 with the hold of his front feet. A third time he 

 gathered his strong hind limbs well under him, 

 got a firm grip of the rock with his fore 

 pads, launched himself with all the force he 

 was capable of, and landed high and dry with 

 a few inches to spare. After surveying his 

 refuge, he leapt to the spot he had selected for 

 his seat, and squatting close to the ground with 

 his ears pressed close on his back, was indis- 

 tinguishable from his surroundings. 



The sudden disappearance of the animal 

 which an instant before had been so very con- 

 spicuous was little short of magical ; even when 

 the sun rose it was difficult to pick him out, 

 so happily did his colouring blend with the 

 russet of the fern and the gold and grey of the 

 lichens. One thing alone betrayed him, his 

 eyes : they were wide open, maintaining their 

 unbroken watch. For months they had kept 

 vigil on cornfield, pasturage, and the enclosing 

 hedges ; now they scanned a waste of sullen 

 mere and barren moor without sign of life save 

 a wheatear flitting from stack to stack of the 

 turf that dotted the heathery ground. 



A harmless intruder was this frail bird ; 



F 



