154 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



fortunately turned out to be his old love. Ex- 

 plaining the situation to her, and his inability to 

 hunt for food himself, she gave him a hearty 

 welcome, and immediately started off on the 

 desired quest, returning presently with a nice fat 

 rabbit, and half a dozen black beetles to aid diges- 

 tion. After an amicable discussion on the best 

 way of avoiding hounds the two friends parted, 

 with a promise on the gentleman's part to pay a 

 visit after Christmas. 



" All Tuesday the old customer slept soundly 

 on, and though once or twice he woke suddenly 

 with a start as the cry of hounds was borne down 

 from the distant heights of Tilton. At sundown 

 he awoke and stretched himself, prepared to resume 

 his journey. After a roll on the grass in the park, 

 and a momentary stare at the lights twinkling in 

 the Abbey windows below, he jogged quietly on 

 through the Lover's Walk and into Owston Wood, 

 where he stopped some time talking to old friends. 

 He was still very stiff, and he could not get on very 

 fast, so that by the time he neared Burrough the 

 earliest cocks were beginning their morning crow. 

 Here, unfortunately, he came upon an old hen in 

 a hedgerow that had wandered beyond its usual 

 walk, and been overtaken by darkness before it 

 could find its way back. The hen was eaten, and 

 the old customer journeyed on. His home, Adam's 

 Gorse, was little more than a mile distant, and he 

 hoped soon to be having a well-earned rest. The 

 consumption of the fowl had wasted time, and as 

 he entered the valley between Burrough and his 

 home day had begun to break. An early shepherd 

 was mustering his flock to see they numbered 



