ous it was after that fierce race over the
heather, running cool and full and strong under the shadow of the
coppice! He hardly paused to drink, but ran straight down stream, for
his heart misgave him that the hounds had gained on him while he was
struggling up the last steep ascent. And the water carried him on, now
racing down his dew-claws, now lapping round his hocks, now rising
quiet and still almost to his mane, sometimes for a few seconds
raising him off his weary legs and bearing him gently down.

Only too soon he heard the deep voice of the hounds throwing their
tongues as they entered the wood, but he kept running steadily down,
refreshed at every step by the sweet, cool water, and screened from
all view by the canopy of hazel and alder that overhung it. At last he
left it, and turning up into the woods ran on through them down the
valley. Once he tried to scale the hill to the next valley, but he
found the air hot and stifling under the dense green leaves, and he
felt so much distressed that he turned back and continued his way
down. Presently there rose up faintly behind him the deep note that he
knew so well of the old black and tan hound; then the voices of other
hounds chimed in together with it, and he knew that they had hit the
place at which he had left the water. He heard the sound of the horn
come floating down the valley, and tried hard to mend his pace, but he
could not; and at last he was fain to leave the wood and come back to
the water.

Again he ran down, and again the friendly stream coursed round him and
revived him. So he splashed on for a time and then he sought the woods
anew in hope of finding help, but he could not stay in them long, and
returned once more to the water. At last, on turning round a bend in
the stream, he came upon a Heron, standing watching for eels, and he
cried out to him, "Oh! stand still. I won't hurt you. Stand still till
the hounds come, and the men will think that I have not passed." But
the Heron was too shy to listen, and flapped heavily away. Then he
came to a bridge, where his passage was barred by a pole, but he threw
his horns back and managed to jump between the pole and the arch,
without touching anything, and though he could not help splashing the
pole, he made his way down without leaving the water.

At length he came to the end of the woods, and here he hesitated,
longing for some one to tell him about the stream further down, for
it was strange to hi