THE SURPRISES OF THE HILL 33 



the grey wall. Dewar whistled on his dog, 

 which had been left a hundred yards behind 

 with Campbell ; in an instant it too was 

 swallowed within the folds of that vampire 

 mist, followed by his master. Everything 

 seemed to disappear, stag, dog, man, time, 

 space and hope. There was nothing for it but 

 to follow ; and the two remaining figures, the 

 short-skirted, long-legged one leading, and 

 the old shepherd, panting, begging to carry 

 the rifle to lessen the " leddy's " load (to 

 which, however, she sternly held), plunged 

 forward too. The rifle's heart was as grey 

 as the mist ; a feeling of furious despair had 

 succeeded the first blank hopelessness. She 

 heeded not the rough ground nor the extra 

 weight of the rifle, but bounded on like one 

 possessed ; conscious only of a determination 

 to hang up her rifle on the shelf from hence- 

 forth if she had to return home and confess to 

 another lost stag, for she had had a black day 

 on the hill only the previous week (which 

 day's tragedy was eventually retrieved by 

 her, but the tale of the " Prodigal Stag " is 



3 



