The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



his head half-turned, points his ears again. 

 It is plain he has heard the last of them, for 

 now he turns his head to the left, gives you a 

 glance, and resumes his walk. He makes a 

 dozen paces, then remembers the quest, stops, 

 and puts down his head to pick up the scent. 

 As he passes the spot of the deer-leap he halts 

 in his stride and sniffs the air, to the left and 

 to the right, goes on, and again bends down to 

 pick up the pony scent. After this he resumes 

 his fast walk as though nothing had happened. 

 The track leads to a Httle green dell, open to 

 the sky; and here the ponies, spreading out, 

 had fed for a Httle, and there are more drop- 

 pings and the usual inquest. Something must 

 have startled them, for you can see, from the 

 laid grass further on, that they had rushed 

 together, and scampered in line after their 

 leader, who had left the track altogether and 

 plunged into the undergrowth at the side. 

 The laid hnes in the lush spring grass makes 

 this plain to you, and evidently to Disciple, 

 for he follows without hesitation; and in his 

 eagerness rushes you through some nut bushes, 

 and you have to put up your hands to save 

 your face. Now the ground slopes away 

 rapidly. It gets bare under some beeches, 

 and at the bottom is a trickhng stream almost 

 choked with last autumn's leaves, which the 

 winter winds have blown into this resting 

 place. The thick mass of withered red leaves, 



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