A HILL DAY 131 



" It's too big and wet, Geordie ; he'd never go in." 



^' Never go in ! " 3^elled Geordie, and a heated argu- 

 ment began, which was only ended by the appearance 

 of Sandy's terrier, who decided the dispute by diving 

 into the crack lower down the hollow, Sandy himself 

 lying prostrate on his stomach on the ground with 

 his ear closely pressed to the earth, while the rest 

 of them drew back and watched with the most intense 

 interest. Sandy's hand went up to indicate he had 

 located the spot from which the yaps and grunts 

 accompanying the subterranean battle proceeded, and 

 he crept softly on all fours down the hollow. Five, 

 ten, fifteen minutes of cold suspense followed, during 

 which a few straggling men and horses arrived, all 

 to take up a position well back and above the centre 

 of attraction. Then Sandy, crawling quietly away, 

 came up to say he could hear nothing, and thought 

 they must be in grips. 



" If we had only a spade, we could shift him," 

 he said ; " but it's too far to send in to Skaith- 

 hill. But what's this ? Here come two lads carrying 

 something very like the instrument." 



Two wiry shepherds were not long in setting doubts 

 at rest. 



*' We keep an old draining spade on the heights," 

 they explained ; ^* it often comes in handy." 



An opening was soon made, and Sandy's terrier 

 dragged out slightly punished, and at his urgent 

 request Geordie Davidson's young Piper was put 

 in. He wriggled out of sight in a second, and soon 

 after his delighted master was screaming in enjoy- 

 ment : '' Hooi at him, Piper lad, good Piper lad, hooi 

 at him. He's driving him doon the hill is Piper." 



