-place. He was so much terrified
that he hardly knew whether to lie still or to fly; but presently the
black and tan hound said "Ough!" once more with such a full, deep,
awful note that he could stand it no longer, but jumped up at once and
bounded up over the hill.

And then every hound threw up his head and yelled in a way which
brought his heart into his mouth, but he was soon out of their view
over the crest of the hill, and turning round set his head backward
for Dunkery. And as he went he saw the horsemen come struggling up the
hill, trying to call the hounds off, but unable to catch them. But he
soon felt that he had not the strength to carry him to Dunkery, so he
swung round again with the gale in his face, and then by great good
luck he caught the wind of other deer, and running on found that it
was Ruddy and her Calf.

By the time that he had joined them the men had stopped the hounds,
and were taking them back to try down the water again after Aunt Yeld.
But you may be sure that Aunt Yeld had not waited for them. On the
contrary, she had made the best of her time, for she had run up the
big water again, and turned from it up a smaller stream, and having
run up that, was lying down in the fervent hope that she was safe.

And safe she was; for as luck would have it the wind backed to the
south-east and began blowing harder than ever, with torrents of rain,
so that after another hour the Calf saw horsemen and hounds travelling
slowly and wearily home, as drenched and draggled and miserable as a
deer could wish to see them. And a little later his mother came and
found him, and though she too was terribly tired, she cared nothing
about herself in the joy of seeing him. Then after a time Aunt Yeld
came up too and joined them, and quite forgetting that it was not at
all like a stag to be soft-hearted, she came up to him and fondled
him, and said, "My brave little fellow, you have saved my life
to-day." So they made their way to the nearest shelter and curled up
together to keep each other warm, banishing all thought of the day's
adventures in their joy that they were safe.

CHAPTER VI

After this they were left in peace for a short time, but week after
week the hounds came to Dunkery or to the forest, and though the Deer
were not always obliged to run their hardest, yet it was seldom that
they had not to fly, at any rate for a time, for their lives. So after
a few weeks the Hind led the Calf back to th