sharply about him as he went. Suddenly a doe passed like a shadow

through the underwood in front of him, and he paused, disgusted at the

chance. This part of the wood had been certainly deserted, but now that

the poor deer had run, she was like a messenger he should have sent

before him to announce his coming; and instead of pushing farther, he

turned him to the nearest well-grown tree, and rapidly began to climb.

Luck had served him well. The oak on which he had mounted was one of

the

tallest in that quarter of the wood, and easily out-topped its neighbours

by a fathom and a half; and when Dick had clambered into the topmost fork

and clung there, swinging dizzily in the great wind, he saw behind him

the whole fenny plain as far as Kettley, and the Till wandering among

woody islets, and in front of him, the white line of high-road winding

through the forest. The boat had been righted--it was even now midway on

the ferry. Beyond that there was no sign of man, nor aught moving but

the wind. He was about to descend, when, taking a last view, his eye lit

upon a string of moving points about the middle of the fen. Plainly a

small troop was threading the causeway, and that at a good pace; and this

gave him some concern as he shinned vigorously down the trunk and

returned across the wood for his companion.

The Black Arrow