companion's squeals, their former 

 fears returned. Bobbie, seeing his 

 mistake, had at once released the 

 captive, but the woods remained as 

 silent as a theatre after the show is 

 over. For long we sat quiet hoping 

 for a return of our entertainers, but 

 the charm was broken, the lamp died 

 out, and again only the noisy silence, 

 the starlit darkness, the camp-fire 

 message. 



The next morning we made an 

 early start, animated by the Cap'n's 

 assurance that he might show us 

 "fantail," as he had "seen fresh 

 tracks" the night before. Also he 

 promised that I could ride all the way ; 

 my lion-blacktail pursuit had made 

 this imperative. 



Oh, land of steeps and rocks, many 

 a sacrifice of aches and pains you 

 have accepted from me! But to- 

 day it offered one of its caresses, 

 and like all things beautiful and 

 rare, it bestowed its blessing upon 

 us in full measure. Blithely, in the 

 crisp fragrant air of early sunlight, 

 we followed a well-defined game trail 

 bordering leisurely a tumbling in- 

 consequent rill that drew its life from 



