HOW WE GOT THERE 87 



or hollow, caused Mead to fly sidelong from the vehicle, 

 still retaining a sitting posture, while I, on whom the force 

 of the excellent springs seemed to have had more effect, 

 was propelled high into the air also to the right and 

 descended head downwards . . . and penetrated to some 

 depth through the yielding surface of my landing-place. 

 Mead soon extricated me, and I was none the worse, save 

 for a coating of mire over my face and head. Meanwhile 

 John, holding on like grim death to the back seat of the 

 dog-cart, had been so taken up by his own position that he 

 never knew we had gone until the horse, some hundred 

 yards further on, plunged knee-deep in the treacherous 

 ground and fell. In consequence of this John performed 

 a back somersault away over the horse's head, and the 

 dogs were flung out over the splash-board, which caused 

 them to cease their bloody battle for the time being. 



" It was quite a marvel that no damage of any kind 

 seemed to have been done to man, beast or vehicle. 

 Ponto and Don presented a gory appearance but that was 

 the result of their battle. The horse got on his legs again 

 after a little difficulty, and, though at first much alarmed, 

 soon grew quiet as we led him back to the road when we 

 had gathered up the guns and other paraphernalia. The 

 pointers still showing signs of enmity, we decided to put 

 Ponto in the trap and make Don run, so that they might 

 be effectually separated. Once more then we took our 

 seats. ... At last in the grey misty light of dawn we 

 reached our destination and Mead and I got down at the 

 boundary of the moor, while John went and put the horse 

 up somewhere hard by. Our guns, cartridges and every- 

 thing else were duly in order, and all was ready for a start 

 except that there was hardly sufficient light as yet. 

 ' We are in plenty of time after all,' said Mead. It was 

 a quarter to four o'clock. No one else seemed to be 

 in the vicinity, and I felt as if about to take part in a 

 night attack on some enemy. The feud between Don and 

 Ponto now began to break out again, and renewed strife 

 was imminent. . . . At last, in spite of the abusive threats 



