beds for work they
disliked, and at their long march through the damp night air; but
their satisfaction at this unexpected comfort loosened their tongues.

Pipes were produced and lighted, and the discomfort of the situation
altogether forgotten. Desmond had handed to Ralph the flask and packet
of sandwiches he had prepared for himself, and he, too, felt less
strongly the chilling effects of the damp and darkness after partaking
of them. The excise officer had also made his preparations.

"We should be more certain as to our whereabouts if we had stopped at
that heap of stones as I proposed, Mr. Fitzgibbon."

"I don't deny, sir, you were right as it has turned out; only I
wouldn't have believed that I could have missed the path, and I did
want to get close to the place before we were observed. I knew that we
couldn't actually surprise them till morning; for the hut lies some
distance in a bog, and there would be no crossing it unless we could
see. Still if we could have got to the edge without the alarm being
given, they would not have time to hide the things before we reached
them. I have ridden across this place many a time after dark, and
never missed my way."

"That was the sagacity of your horse more than your own, I expect,"
Ralph said. "A horse can find his way along a path he has once
traveled better than any man can do. In the first place, I think he
can see better in the night; and in the second, he has some sort of
instinct to guide him. However, I don't suppose it much matters; we
shall find the path easily enough in the morning. And, as you said,
the mist will hide our movements quite as effectually as the darkness
would do."

At last the morning began to break in a dim misty light, and as it
grew stronger they were able to perceive how dense was the fog that
surrounded them. At three paces distant they were invisible to each
other.

"It does not seem to me that we are much better off than we were
before, so far as finding the path lies. What do you think?"

"It looks bad, certainly," the officer admitted reluctantly. "I am
awfully sorry I have led you into this mess."

"It can't be helped," Ralph said. "We must make the best of matters.
At any rate it's better than it was, and the mist is not nearly as
heavy as when we were marching up that valley."

CHAPTER XI.

STILL-HUNTING.

"Now, sergeant, the men may as well fall in," Ralph said cheerfully,
"and then we will set about finding t