THE PHEASANT 
But perhaps, as it turned out, this was the best 
thing he could have done, for panic is in- 
fectious, and the Pullet caught the alarm. 
Men, bent on mischief, were in the wood, and 
she had only one idea to run from this un- 
known place back to the familiar bondage at 
Tonsella. She thrust her head out before her 
like a landrail, and ran down the wood. And 
Creaban followed followed although it was 
right into the line of the oncoming men, for 
there was a decision about his companion 
which bade him trust to her guiding. He 
stubbed himself against briars ; thorns scraped 
his feathers ; he heard the mighty noise of 
men trampling all round him. Willingly now 
he would have taken wing, but they were 
running through a thicket of beech saplings, 
whose interlacing branches held him as if in a 
cage. He could see nothing but the draggled 
yellow tail of the Pullet in front of him. But 
when they were half-way through the brake, he 
realized that the crashing of the men to right 
and left of him was behind, instead of in front. 
Was the gauntlet nearly run ? Was the way of 
escape open before them ? Suddenly the covert 
abruptly gave place to grass. Were those twin 
stems set in front of them really trees ? It was 
the Pullet who saw them move, and guessed 
their nature. She swerved aside noisily. 
'85 
