BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK. 135 



a steady line along the naked, green face of the 

 valley, outlining the buxom curves like a string 

 course with an encouraging downward tendency in 

 it. Gingerly we trod it, each with an excessively 

 awkward and all-dubious Tommy in tow — while 

 the slope below, on the right hand, became a great 

 deal steeper than was pleasant to look at, and that 

 above, on the left, so pronounced as to preclude 

 the possibility of walking on it. Emerging from a 

 shallow scoop in the face of the hill, and paying 

 more heed to my steps than to my surroundings, I 

 felt the steady drag of the elder Thomas upon the 

 reins become a violent full-stop, and was suddenly 

 aware of two or three startled, audacious pony 

 faces peering round a pile of boulders at the turn 

 of the path. They were gone with a whisk of fore- 

 locks and a rattle of loosened stones ; and having 

 in some measure reassured the deeply scandalised 

 Tommies, we proceeded, not without some inward 

 speculation as to what would happen to them, and 

 to us, if these sylvan cousins of theirs were to come 

 avalanching round the corner upon us in an unfor- 



