Christmas Eve in a Punt. 219 



like fine coral ; the sere amber leaves of the oaks were plainly 

 visible in the clear atmosphere. Nor cattle, nor herdsmen, 

 nor horses, nor flocks were to be seen ; birds in columns, 

 and lines, and masses, regular and irregular, were manoeuv- 

 ring over the water and uplands. The tall sedges and 

 bullrushes, dry and yellow and ghostly, around the margin 

 of the lake, rustled and rattled as the wind shivered fitfully 

 through them. 



" How picturesque it all looks in the spotless veil which 

 conceals what is unlovely ! " Thornbury ejaculated. " How 

 ethereal the smoke hovering over the snug hamlet ; how fair 

 the country in its silent repose ! 



" The cormorant on high 



Wheels from the deep, and screams along the land. 

 Loud shrieks the soaring hern ; and with wild wing 

 The circling sea-fowl cleaves the flaky clouds." 



" When you've made an end of your ecstacy, Thornbury," 

 broke in his companion, "we had better push off. The 

 days are short now." 



That was the only fault to be found with Harvey; he 

 had no soul for poetry. But he was right They pushed 

 off, selecting a small half boat and half punt. Harvey said 

 it would keep him warm to row about while Thornbury cast 

 right and left ; so the lad who had met them at the boat- 

 house took the cart to the farm where Rory usually found 

 stabling, and was directed to return at four o'clock. There 

 was quite a collection of punts in the boat-house ; long 

 narrow craft decked with canvas, variations of the old Poole 

 punt, boats with sails, boats with oars, boats with broad 

 paddles and setting poles ; boats with oars muffled, oars 

 tied, and oars loose ; boats, in short, for the serious business 

 of wild-fowl shooting in all its branches, and boats for the 



