NATURE AND SPORT IN BRITAIN 



hard foot-gear and fastened some rude leggings of 

 sheepskin about his brawny calves. The wood fire 

 had all but died down. With the deftness of long 

 experience he blew it up, nursed it into flame again, 

 and cooked for his wife a warm mess of meal and 

 water. 



The flickering firelight fell upon the woman's face as 

 she sat up in bed and took the porringer from her 

 husband. It was a young and not uncomely face, 

 despite dishevelled hair and the pallor of lying-in. As 

 she took her food, spoonful by spoonful, she looked 

 anxiously at her husband's gloomy countenance and 

 knitted brows. Where was he going ? she asked him. 

 To Thonfield, a neighbouring village, he answered, to 

 see if by any chance he might get work there. The 

 great, gaunt fellow kissed his wife, piled more wood 

 upon the fire, and then arrayed himself for his walk. 

 On his head he pressed firmly down an old cap of 

 rabbit-skin ; over this and his shoulders he drew a 

 short threadbare hooded cloak of faded green frieze ; 

 upon his rough, chapped hands he drew a pair of thick 

 hedgecutter's gloves ; then, buckling a broad belt 

 round his smock, and taking a strong, crab-tree staff 

 from the chimney-corner, he unlatched the door and 

 stepped out into the frigid, cheerless morning. It was 

 bitter cold indeed. The icy blast smote upon the 

 man's cheeks with Arctic rigour ; from the cottage 

 thatch hung long icicles, enchained a month since by 

 the fetters of that pitiless frost ; the sky was dull and 

 leaden, and that curious, numbing cold which betokens 

 the near approach of heavy snow was in the air. 



Thomas Goodwin tramped steadily through the snow. 

 Crossing a belt of woodland, which lay between him 

 and the more open country, he presently entered upon 

 a spreading stretch of grass-land — now sheeted in with 



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