A TANTALISING SITUATION 137 



his feet sinking deep at every step as he made 

 for the cattle-stalls under the barn. The flame 

 lit up his corduroys, his homespun jacket, and 

 beardless chin ; it faintly illuminated the mud 

 wall on which his shadow fell ; it dispelled the 

 pitchy darkness of the byre, where with loud 

 lowings ox and bullock greeted his entry. 

 He was soon busy chopping turnips, whose 

 fragrance spread around till it reached the hare 

 and set him longing ; then the munching of 

 the cattle almost drove him beyond endurance ; 

 but he remembered that he was an outlaw, so he 

 turned a deaf ear to the tantalising sound, 

 though he could not help envying the beasts 

 which he had hitherto pitied. By this the 

 farmyard was wide awake ; the inmates of 

 every shed and pen clamoured to be fed ; 

 the bull bellowed, the horse whinnied, the pigs 

 squealed, the geese cackled, the rooster crowed 

 at the top of his voice, whilst the linnets, 

 finches, siskins, a yellow-hammer and a snow- 

 bunting looked mutely on, hoping not to be 

 forgotten. 



And so the hours of early morning passed, 

 succeeded by a sunless forenoon and the dinner 

 hour, during which the hare contemplated an 

 act of unusual daring, nothing less than joining 

 the three yearlings who were eating hay from 



K 2 



