THE PHEASANT 
have fifteen fowl, not counting that there 
Yellery Pullet I had o' Brady's, the crather." 
The duel in the hen-house scared the Yellow 
Pullet so much that, without waiting to feed 
with the other hens, she slunk away into the 
wood, and passed the early part of the forenoon 
among the bramble brakes. It was Sunday, and 
but for the placid cawing of rooks, and the 
tinkle of the Chapel bell at the head of the 
valley, a Sabbath stillness lay over the country- 
side. The wood was as quiet as a church ; 
even the autumn wind seemed to pass without 
stirring the trees. An ordinary hen would have 
been lonely by herself, and have returned to 
feed with her companions, but the Yellow 
Pullet was contented enough, and strayed 
farther and farther into the wood. Never- 
theless, when she came upon Creaban, who was 
scratching up his noonchine under the hedge, 
she welcomed his companionship. Creaban 
was nervous after his adventure of the morning 
and listened anxiously to every strange noise ; 
but the Yellow Pullet as usual was quite un- 
moved, or only curious, about sounds which 
would have driven the real wild people to covert 
in dismay. She was wholly taken up with 
Creaban, and as her carelessness gradually over- 
came his own fears, he paid greater court to 
her. Together they took a sun-bath at the foot 
183 
