on Pheasants.



313



IV.


The end of November, and winter has laid its first touches

on the countryside. A keen hoarfrost during the night was followed

by a bright morning, turning later to snow as the north-east wind

brought up the grey clouds. As we drove along the high road it

was snowing heavily from a leaden sky. In the village doors and

windows were closed, scarcely anyone was about, and the few whose

work compelled them to be outdoors were muffled up to the eyes-

the farm-hands in plentiful sacks. Hedges were bare, trees stood

out gaunt black skeletons against the sky. Blackbirds and sparrows

with puffed-out feathers hopped disconsolately about the roadway.

The generally numerous rooks were represented by a few individuals

flying swiftly through the air, not turning, pausing, nor calling.

Only the plovers uttered their melancholy cries from the wet

pastures, as they always do. The landscape faded away into

invisibility behind a curtain of snow and mist, and the dark weed-

bedded river flowed past with silent speed. We drew our coats

round us and urged the horse on faster. Rounding the bend beyond

the village we saw ahead a water-meadow containing the dead and

blackened remains of a plentiful crop of thistles and docks. On our

left, across the river, were some huge elms at the bottom of a sloping

meadow. Suddenly abreast of us sounded the beat of strong pinions,

a dark shape rose high between two closely growing trees, and a

cock pheasant flew nearly overhead at tremendous speed, neck out¬

stretched, long tapering tail trailing straight and smooth behind him,

wings meeting above and below his body in his eager and strenuous

effort. The wing-beats were incredibly quick for such a big bird, as

was his flight. In the diffused light and his elevated position the

colouring was reduced to one dead level, almost black. He sped

away and disappeared across the meadows towards a copse.


V.


It was not completely dark as I came across the meadow

and made for the gap under the big elm-tree, but the light was so

diminished that objects looked dark and huge and shapeless out of

space. Against the skyline on the headland a cow looked as large

as an elephant, and the tops of distant trees were great cones and



