AN ENGLISH DEER-PARK. ^61 



and out to their labour, and so did those who split up 

 the fallen trunks into logs. Now and then a woodpecker 

 came with a rush up from the meadows, where he had 

 been visiting the hedgerows, and went into the forest 

 with a yell as he entered the trees. The deer fed up to 

 the precincts, and at intervals a buck at the dawn got 

 into the garden. But the flies from the forest teased 

 and terrified the horses, which would have run away 

 with the heavily loaded waggon behind them if not pro- 

 tected with fine netting as if in armour. They did run 

 away sometimes at harrow, tearing across the field like 

 mad things. You could not keep the birds out of the 

 garden, ti)^ how you would. They had most of the 

 sowings up. The blackbirds pecked every apple in the 

 orchard. How the dead leaves in autumn came whirling 

 in thousands through rick-yard and court in showers 

 upon the tiles ! Nor was it of much avail to sweep them 

 away ; they were there again to-morrow, and until the 

 wind changed. The swallows were now very busy 

 building ; there were not many houses for them, and 

 therefore they flocked here. Up from over the meadows 

 came the breeze, drawing into the hollow recesses of the 

 forest behind. It came over the grass and farther away 

 over corn just yellowing, the shadows of the clouds racing 

 with it and instantly lost in the trees. It drew through 

 the pillars of the forest, and away to the hills beyond. 



The squire's ale was duly put for him, the particular 

 gossip he liked was ready for him ; and having taken 

 both, he looked at his old watch and went on. His 

 path now led for a while just inside the pale, which here 

 divided the forest from the meadows. In the olden 

 time it would have been made of oak, for they built all 

 things then with an eye to endurance ; but it was now 

 of fir, pitched, sawn from firs thrown in the copses. For 



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