AN ENGLISH DEER-PARK. 307 
and out to their labour, and so did those who split up 
the fallen trunks intologs. Now and then a woodpecker 
came with a rush up from the meadows, where he had 
been visiting the hedgerows, and went into the forest 
with a yell as he entered the trees. The deer fed up to 
the precincts, and at intervals a buck at the dawn got 
into the garden. But the flies from the forest teased 
and terrified the horses, which would have run away 
with the heavily loaded waggon behind them if not pro- 
tected with fine netting as if in armour. They did run 
away sometimes at harrow, tearing across the field like 
mad things. You could not keep the birds out of the 
garden, tiy how you would. They had most of the 
sowings up. The blackbirds pecked every apple in the 
orchard. How the dead leaves in autumn came whirling 
in thousands through rick-yard and court in showers 
upon the tiles! Nor was it of much avail to sweep them 
away ; they were there again to-morrow, and until the 
wind changed. The swallows were now very busy 
building; there were not many houses for them, and 
therefore they flocked here. Up from over the meadows 
came the breeze, drawing into the hollow recesses of the 
forest behind. It came over the grass and farther away 
over corn just yellowing, the shadows of the clouds racing 
with it and instantly lost in the trees. It drew through 
the pillars of the forest, and away to the hills beyond. 
The squire’s ale was duly put for him, the particular 
gossip he liked was ready for him; and having taken 
both, he looked at his old watch and went on. His 
path now led for a while just inside the pale, which here 
divided the forest from the meadows. In the olden 
time it would have been made of oak, for they built all 
things then with an eye to endurance; but it was now 
of fir, pitched, sawn from firs thrown in thecopses. For 
Xx 2 
