COVERT WARBLERS 103 



utter strangers to the neighbourhood, I simply 

 listened and said nothing. I had reasons to 

 think that a marten cat might be about, for 

 one had been killed not many miles away ; 

 and therefore took counsel deep and weighty 

 with Tommy, who was my stanch friend. 



"Ah well! you take my advice, an' keep 

 jist as fur frum that 'ere old holler as iver 

 ye can. It's haunted 'taint a nateral sort 

 of place. Old Shath he's a bit o' a 'lation 

 o' mine told me when he was a young 'un, 

 'bout twenty like, as one marnin' airly 'twas 

 menjous misty, and he heerd a lot o' hosses 

 like, tramplin' down that ere place. Times an' 

 agin hev he told me 'twas a wision o' sum 

 sort. It waunt choked up then same as 'tis 



now." 



As certain articles very often found their 

 way over the district in spite of foggy weather, 

 Tommy's relation, "Old Shath," might possibly 

 have known more about the " wision he had 

 heerd " than he cared to explain to his nephew. 



" Ye mean goin' tu hide up ? " 



"Yes; for a week, if there is a chance of 

 seeing the creature." 



" It's a warmint o' sum sort, thin. Now look 

 here, don't you git foolin' an' looterin' about 



