158 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



as I loved to spend a day in, human voices were 

 distinctly heard coming from a great distance when 

 no human form was in sight. I was reminded of 

 poor Peter Wilkins, alone in his desolate antarctic 

 island, listening during the long polar night to the 

 mysterious sounds of invisible people talking and 

 laughing, now on this side, now on that, or else far 

 up in the pale dim sky. But these voices did not 

 make me miserable ; I had my " beautiful creatures " 

 for company, and wished not for other. Still I did 

 not wholly escape from my own kind. One afternoon 

 in July, in the loneliest spot I knew, where half the 

 side of a great down is overgrown with luxuriant furze, 

 I heard a sound of eager talking, as of persons engaged 

 in argument, which appeared to grow louder and 

 louder ; and at . last I spied coming down into the 

 wilderness of furze three human figures, and turning 

 my binocular on them made out that they were three 

 very unpleasant -looking tramps, each with a big bundle, 

 and they were evidently coming to camp at that 

 place. After I had been observing them for some 

 time they all at once caught sight of me, standing 

 motionless among the bushes at a distance of about 

 six hundred yards, and were thrown into a great 

 state of excitement. " Don't lose sight of him ! Keep 

 your eye on him while I hide the things away ! " I 

 heard one cry to the others, after which he dis- 

 appeared for some time among the bushes. For 

 half-an-hour longer they kept their eyes on me, and 



