DOVE >ALE REVISITED 145 



forty feet high ; then you come upon the 

 " Kitchen," which is a very cosy little place. 

 And there it was that Reynard, the robber, 

 used to broil his chop and stew his potatoes. 



The path grew rougher and steeper ; we had 

 frequently to cling to each other for support ; 

 and by the time we had reached the top of 

 the Sharplow Cliff (I think it is so called), 

 above the Lover's Leap, it was pitch dark 

 and the owls were flitting about on their 

 noiseless wings, now and again hooting theii 

 weird shrill notes. It was there I saw in the 

 distance a glimmering white light, which I at 

 once pronounced to be " Will o' the Wisp" 

 (ignis fatuus) or " Jack o' Lantern." I was 

 undeceived, however, as we advanced, feeling 

 our way foot by foot along the brow of the hill, 

 because it just as slowly and steadily ap- 

 proached us instead of receding (as "Will o' 

 the Wisps" generally do). When at last it 

 came up to us, or we came up to it, we found 

 it was a sheet of white notepaper stuck on the 

 end of a stake. On striking a light we read 

 these ominous words : 



" We have waited here till six o'clock to help 



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