28 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



hoar-frost has covered them. Although I was well 

 clothed and walking at a quick step, the wind seemed 

 to cut through me like a knife ; soon, however, I 

 was sheltered by the high banks of the woods through 

 which my road ran. After clearing the woods and 

 getting on to the open road, I was reminded of the 

 hard times by little dark heaps which lay here and 

 there, the bodies of thrushes and red-wings, so com- 

 pletely starved that they were merely frames cov- 

 ered with feathers ; and, frozen to death, they had 

 tumbled out of the cover in the hedge where they 

 had been roosting. In such bitter weather as this 

 these birds wander from their usual haunts in search 

 of food, getting weaker and weaker until they flutter 

 into the first bit of cover which presents itself by 

 the roadside as night comes on, there to die. 



It was hard trampling through and over the snow, 

 but I got into a nice glow as it was getting lighter, 

 and made for the cottage of one of my woodland 

 friends which was about a mile from the beech-wood. 

 A nice cup of hot tea, with just a suspicion of some- 

 thing in it, added considerably to my comfort. 



" 'Nation seize ye ! " cried the man as he handed 

 me the cup, " hev ye been out all night and got lost ? 



