Raggylug 109 



able visitor to Olifant's hen-house. But they 

 were not yet quite sure that he had been 

 properly looked after. So for the 'present 

 they gave up using the ground-hoies, which 

 were, of course, dangerous blind-alleys, and 

 stuck closer than ever to the briers and the 

 brush-piles that were left. 



That first snow had quite gone and the 

 weather was bright and warm until now. 

 Molly, feeling a touch of rheumatism, was 

 somewhere in the lower thicket seeking a tea- 

 berry tonic. Rag was sitting in the weak sun- 

 light on a bank in the east side. The smoke 

 from the familiar gable chimney of Olifant's 

 house came fitfully drifting a pale blue haze 

 through the underwoods and showmg as a dull 

 brown against the brightness of the sky. The 

 sun-gilt gable was cut off midway by the banks 

 of brier-brush, that purple in shadow shone like 

 rods of blazing crimson and gold in the light. 

 Beyond the house the barn with its gable and 

 roof, new gilt as the house, stood up like a 

 Noah's ark. 



The sounds that came from it, and yet more 

 the delicious smell that mingled with the 

 smoke, told Rag that the animals were being 

 fed cabbage in the yard. Rag's mouth watered 

 at the idea of the feast. He blinked and blinked 



