98 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



little hamlet always received very particular in- 

 structions when the order to make line for this 

 purpose was given. I remember how he used to 

 assure the men who paid him for it, in an emphatic 

 manner, that it "wud pull a hoss out o' a bog, 

 let alone a man, or a couple on 'em, for that 

 matter." With ash pole ten feet long, pulled out 

 of some tussocks, their equipment was complete. 

 If it was necessary for the men to communicate 

 with each other, they did it in whispers; but as 

 a rule, a sign, a motion of the hand or fingers, 

 was enough. 



The pole would be used to probe with in the 

 green weeds which grew in wide patches between 

 the tussocks where the alders were bunched to- 

 gether. I have seen it go down full five feet 

 without its resting on anything solid. Then the 

 plank had to be used ; it would be pushed out 

 over the quake, and the lightest of the party would 

 shoot over with the pole, probe quickly, and come 

 back. If all was right, we went over if not, we 

 tried elsewhere; for we knew that if we could get 

 fairly in the tussock-humps we could look round. 

 How to get there was the problem ; but by swing- 



