ed out in darkness. But suddenly the day broke. Heralded by the
snuffle of the horses, light began glimmering over a chaos of lines and
shadows, pale as mother-o'-pearl. The stars faded, and in a smouldering
zigzag the dawn fled along the mountain tops, flinging out little isles
of cloud. From a lake, curled in a hollow like a patch of smoke, came
the cry of a water-bird. A cuckoo started a soft mocking; and close to
the carriage a lark flew up. Beasts and men alike stood still, drinking
in the air-sweet with snows and dew, and vibrating faintly with the
running of the water and the rustling of the leaves.

The night had played sad tricks with Mr. Nicholas Treffry; his hat was
grey with dust; his cheeks brownish-purple, there were heavy pouches
beneath his eyes, which stared painfully.

"We'll call a halt," he said, "and give the gees their grub, poor
things. Can you find some water, Mr. Harz? There's a rubber bucket in
behind.

"Can't get about myself this morning; make that lazy fellow of mine stir
his stumps."

Harz saw that he had drawn off one of his boots, and stretched the foot
out on a cushion.

"You're not fit to go farther," he said; "you're ill."

"Ill!" replied Mr. Treffry; "not a bit of it!"

Harz looked at him, then catching up the bucket, made off in search of
water. When he came back the horses were feeding from an india-rubber
trough slung to the pole; they stretched their heads towards the bucket,
pushing aside each other's noses.

The flame in the east had died, but the tops of the larches were bathed
in a gentle radiance; and the peaks ahead were like amber. Everywhere
were threads of water, threads of snow, and little threads of dewy
green, glistening like gossamer.

Mr. Treffry called out: "Give me your arm, Mr. Harz; I'd like to shake
the reefs out of me. When one comes to stand over at the knees, it's no
such easy matter, eh?" He groaned as he put his foot down, and gripped
the young man's shoulder as in a vise. Presently he lowered himself on
to a stone.

"'All over now!' as Chris would say when she was little; nasty temper
she had too--kick and scream on the floor! Never lasted long though....
'Kiss her! take her up! show her the pictures!' Amazing fond of pictures
Chris was!" He looked dubiously at Harz; then took a long pull at his
flask. "What would the doctor say? Whisky at four in the morning! Well!
Thank the Lord Doctors aren't always with us." Sitting on the stone,
with one