he forest there they
would have sunk above the ankle in soft decaying wood, hidden from sight
by thick vegetation. Wood-pigeons rose every minute from these ash-trees
with a loud clatter of wings; their calls resounded continually, now
deep in the forest, and now close at hand. It was evident that a large
flock of them had their nesting-place here, and indeed their nests of
twigs could be frequently seen from the path. There seemed no other
birds.

Again the forest changed, and the track, passing on higher ground,
entered among firs. These, too, had killed each other by growing so
thickly; the lower branches of many were dead, and there was nothing but
a little green at the tops, while in many places there was an open space
where they had decayed away altogether. Brambles covered the ground in
these open places, brambles and furze now bright with golden blossom.
The jays screeched loudly, startled as the riders passed under them, and
fluttered away; rabbits, which they saw again here, dived into their
burrows. Between the first the track was very narrow, and they could not
conveniently ride side by side; Oliver took the lead, and Felix
followed.

CHAPTER VII

THE FOREST TRACK CONTINUED

Once as they trotted by a pheasant rose screaming from the furze and
flew before them down the track. Just afterwards Felix, who had been
previously looking very carefully into the firs upon his right hand,
suddenly stopped, and Oliver, finding this, pulled up as quickly as he
could, thinking that Felix wished to tighten his girth.

"What is it?" he asked, turning round in his saddle.

"Hush!" said Felix, dismounting; his horse, trained to hunting, stood
perfectly still, and would have remained within a few yards of the spot
by the hour together. Oliver reined back, seeing Felix about to bend and
string his bow.

"Bushmen," whispered Felix, as he, having fitted the loop to the horn
notch, drew forth an arrow from his girdle, where he carried two or
three more ready to hand than in the quiver on his shoulder. "I thought
I saw signs of them some time since, and now I am nearly sure. Stay here
a moment."

He stepped aside from the track in among the firs, which just there were
far apart, and went to a willow bush standing by some furze. He had
noticed that one small branch on the outer part of the bush was snapped
off, though green, and only hung by the bark. The wood cattle, had they
browsed upon it, would have nibbled t