92 IN THE WEALD 
I have tossed half a dozen mice down in the room ; 
and it was fun to see them poke and push and pat 
to make them lie nicely, of course out of sight. 
Both wind- and water-mills are in full force in 
this district. The mills are like the farms they grind 
for, very old. The water-mills, from their secluded 
position, are naturally the places about which to look 
for fowl or fish, the mill-ponds being large. You 
may be in such places for a whole day, and the only 
sounds you will hear will be the clack of the mill- 
wheel, the cry of waterfowl, and the splash of fish. 
One spot I know, that lies sheltered in a great 
hollow or coombe, on the very edge of the forest, 
which is very beautiful. A large old house, half 
mill half farm, stands in the trees ; they are all 
around it. In front is a large pool, reed and rush 
fringed. Great masses of weed float on its calm, deep 
waters. Coots, ducks, and dabchicks are going here 
and there in all directions ; and as to kingfishers, this 
spot has a local reputation for them. Other birds 
come that are not often seen elsewhere, and animals 
also. The place is very quiet, in fact out of the world, 
in the full sense of the term ; the old house in the 
trees, the hills above, and the pool in front mirroring 
the beautiful surroundings. Summer is the time to 
visit the Weald. When the fox barks, and the vixen 
