AMONG THE HILLS. 51 



Old Tom's literally recorded declaration of his 

 sentiments expresses the feeling of the few old 

 woodmen's families that now remain on and about 

 the hills. Modern mansions have been built where 

 some of these older ones stood, or near to them — 

 buildings of ferociously glaring red bricks and tiling 

 strongly relieved by the white quarterings now so 

 very prevalent in mansions of this particular style. 

 Time will soften the glaring tones — the sooner the 

 better, I think, for they flash out from the sur- 

 rounding woodlands, reminding me always of those 

 scarlet fungi, of wonderful properties for those who 

 are in the secret, that spring up, happily few and far 

 between, in the fall of the year from the turf at the 

 foot of tlie trees. 



As in my descriptions I have no intention of 

 imitating those misleading publications called guide- 

 books, I shall indicate no particular locality; and 

 with Hindhead and Blackdown and their "Broom 

 dashers," or "Broom squires," we have nothing to 

 do. These titles have been bestowed on the de- 

 scendants of nomads who in past times squatted 

 in the mighty hollows of those hills. Quite enough 

 of the peculiar traits of their ancestors remain still 



