88 A RUDE AWAKENING 



suddenly the scene changed from falling trees 

 and breaking waves to wind-swept foothills, up 

 which, nose to ground, a brindled lurcher ran 

 with incredible swiftness — and the foothills were 

 the foothills below him, the lurcher was the farm 

 dog from Boscawen-Un ; the trail it followed 

 was his own trail. His wide-open eyes beheld 

 every twist and turn of the dog's advance with- 

 out suggesting danger, till the enemy was almost 

 within springing distance ; then consciousness 

 returned, and at a bound the affrighted creature 

 cleared the bush and fled up the hill. He soon 

 outdistanced his pursuer, fleet-footed though she 

 was, reached the crest, swerved and ran with 

 the gale at his back till within sight of Caer 

 Bran. After coming so far he wished to satisfy 

 himself that the dog still pursued. The wind 

 lashed his face and beat down his ears ; it 

 threatened to blow him off the wall he stood 

 on ; but he held his ground and looked along 

 his trail. 



So had he often stood when followed by 

 foxes, but never once did he get a glimpse of 

 them : one and all recognised the uselessness 

 of trying to overtake him, and relinquished the 

 chase. He was now to learn that a dog will 

 persist though success seems hopeless, for soon 

 he saw the lurcher coming on at a pace that 



