d scarcely see where he was
going, but his chief effort was to get out of Minehead and away from all
contact with human beings--for the time. In this he succeeded very soon.
Once well beyond the town, he did not pause to make a choice of roads.
He only sought to avoid the coast line, rightly judging that way to lie
most open and exposed to the storm,--moreover the wind swooped in so
fiercely from the sea, and the rising waves made such a terrific
roaring, that, for the mere sake of greater quietness, he turned aside
and followed a path which appeared to lead invitingly into some deep
hollow of the hills. There seemed a slight chance of the weather
clearing at noon, for though the wind was so high, the clouds were
whitening under passing gleams of sunlight, and the scud of rain had
passed. As he walked further and further he found himself entering a
deep green valley--a cleft between high hills,--and though he had no
idea which way it led him, he was pleased to have reached a
comparatively sheltered spot where the force of the hurricane was not so
fiercely felt, and where the angry argument of the sea was deadened by
distance. There was a lovely perfume everywhere,--the dash of rain on
the herbs and field flowers had brought out their scent, and the
freshness of the stormy atmosphere was bracing and exhilarating. He put
Charlie down on the grass, and was amused to see how obediently the tiny
creature trotted after him, close at his heels, in the manner of a
well-trained, well-taught lady's favourite. There was no danger of
wheeled or motor traffic in this peaceful little glen, which appeared to
be used solely by pedestrians. He rather wondered now and then whither
it led, but was not very greatly concerned on the subject. What pleased
him most was that he did not see a single human being anywhere or a sign
of human habitation.

Presently the path began to ascend, and he followed it upward. The climb
became gradually steep and wearisome, and the track grew smaller, almost
vanishing altogether among masses of loose stones, which had rolled down
from the summits of the hills, and he had again to carry Charlie, who
very strenuously objected to the contact of sharp flints against his
dainty little feet. The boisterous wind now met him full-faced,--but,
struggling against it, he finally reached a wide plateau, commanding a
view of the surrounding country and the sea. Not a house was in
sight;--all around him extended a chain o