96 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



hour. Punctual to the minute, with every requisite 

 in its place, we sat down to a breakfast that would 

 have stood the searchings of broad daylight without 

 a fault being found in it, and the waiting-maid was 

 as spruce as spruce could be, and wore such a 

 pleasing smile that all our compunctions at having 

 brought her from her warm bed so early on a frosty 

 morning fled. 



The keeper came for us at the time appointed 

 and brought in with him the first whiff of the 

 change going on out-doors. His face was red 

 with cold and his hands needed much rubbing, 

 at least I thought so from the lengthened time he 

 rubbed them ; but my friend understood the sym- 

 ptoms better and ordered him a glass of rum, and 

 the rubbing ceased. 



The first streaks of dawn were rising as we left 

 our quarters and above our heads, in the spaces 

 between the broken clouds, clusters of faintly shin- 

 ing stars helped to give some light to the startling 

 change the night had brought, Snow had fallen 

 and whitened house-tops, trees and hedges ; so 

 generously had it come that our footsteps fell 

 noiselessly excepting when we crunched the ice in 

 the hollow places of the road. We stepped out 

 briskly in the uncertain light and were soon at the 

 lake, but not before the still hidden sun had driven 

 the stars away and so painted the clouds that they 

 foretold more snow or rain. 



My wonderment at the keeper's readiness to 

 partake of rum so early was lessened, and, my re- 

 spect for him much increased, when I saw that the 

 punt had been freed of snow and was clean and 

 sweet-smelling. 



