236 HAMPSHIRE DAYS 



the time they hovered with their breasts towards me, 

 and seen through my glass against the pale luminous 

 sky, their round, stout bodies, long bills, and short, 

 rapidly vibrating wings, gave them the appearance of 

 gigantic insects rather than birds. 



At length, tired of watching them, I stretched myself 

 out in the ling, but continued listening, and while 

 thus occupied an amusing incident occurred. A flock 

 of eighteen mallards 'rose up with a startled cry from 

 the marsh at a distance, and after flying once or 

 twice round, dropped down again. Then the sound 

 of crackling branches and of voices talking became 

 audible advancing round the marsh towards me. It 

 was the first human sound I had heard that day at 

 that spot. Then the sounds ceased, and after a couple 

 of minutes of silence I glanced round in the direction 

 they had proceeded from, and beheld a curious sight. 

 Three boys, one about twelve years old, the others 

 smaller, were grouped together on the edge of the 

 pool, gazing fixedly across the water at me. They 

 had taken me for a corpse, or an escaped criminal, or 

 some such dreadful object, lying there in the depth 

 of the forest. The biggest boy had dropped on to 

 one knee among the rough heather, while the others, 

 standing on either side, were resting their hands on 

 his shoulders. Seen thus, in their loose, threadbare, 

 grey clothes and caps, struck motionless, their white, 

 scared faces, parted lips, and wildly staring eyes turned 

 to me, they were like a group cut in stone. I laughed 



