rom hell; so I crossed myself and said my beads, and kept my eyes
on the ground, and presently I saw my lights burning in the house, and
heard the roar of the stream, and the gabbling above me ceased, as the
sound of the running water began. But that night I awoke again and again;
and the night seemed hot and close each time, as if a storm was near, but
there was no thunder. Each time I heard the roar of the stream below the
house, and no more. At last, towards the morning, I set my window wide
that looks towards the stream, and leaned out; and there beneath me,
crowded against the wall of the house, as I could see in the growing
light, was a great flock of sheep, with all their heads together towards
the house, as close as a score of dogs could pack them, and they were all
still as death, and their backs were dripping wet; for they had come down
the hills and swum the stream, in order to be near a Christened man and
away from what was abroad that night.

"My shepherds told me the same that day, that everywhere the sheep had
come down to the houses, as if terrified near to death; and at Keswick,
whither I went the next market-day, they told me the same tale, and that
two men had each found a sheep that could not travel; one had a broken
leg, and the other had been cast; but neither had another mark or wound
or any disease upon him, but that both were lying dead upon Skiddaw; and
the look in the dead eyes, they said, was fit to make a man forget his
manhood."

Anthony found the old man the most interesting companion possible, and he
persuaded him to accompany him on several of the expeditions that he had
to make to the hamlets and outlying cottages round, in his spiritual
ministrations; and both he and Isabel were sincerely sorry when two
Sundays had passed away, and they had to begin to move south again in
their journeyings.

* * * *

And so the autumn passed and winter began, and Anthony was slowly moving
down again, supplying the place of priests who had fallen sick or had
died, visiting many almost inaccessible hamlets, and everywhere
encouraging the waverers and seeking the wanderers, and rejoicing over
the courageous, and bringing opportunities of grace to many who longed
for them. He met many other well-known priests from time to time, and
took counsel with them, but did not have time to become very intimate
with any of them, so great were the demands upon his servi