the water-babies-第5章

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But　when　he　got　into　the　wood；　he　found　it　a　very　different　sort　of　place　from　what　he　had　fancied。　　He　pushed　into　a　thick　cover　of　rhododendrons；　and　found　himself　at　once　caught　in　a　trap。　　The　boughs　laid　hold　of　his　legs　and　arms；　poked　him　in　his　face　and　his　stomach；　made　him　shut　his　eyes　tight　（though　that　was　no　great　loss；　for　he　could　not　see　at　best　a　yard　before　his　nose）；　and　when　he　got　through　the　rhododendrons；　the　hassock…grass　and　sedges　tumbled　him　over；　and　cut　his　poor　little　fingers　afterwards　most　spitefully；　the　birches　birched　him　as　soundly　as　if　he　had　been　a　nobleman　at　Eton；　and　over　the　face　too　（which　is　not　fair　swishing　as　all　brave　boys　will　agree）；　and　the　lawyers　tripped　him　up；　and　tore　his　shins　as　if　they　had　sharks'　teeth　…　which　lawyers　are　likely　enough　to　have。

〃I　must　get　out　of　this；〃　thought　Tom；　〃or　I　shall　stay　here　till　somebody　comes　to　help　me　…　which　is　just　what　I　don't　want。〃

But　how　to　get　out　was　the　difficult　matter。　　And　indeed　I　don't　think　he　would　ever　have　got　out　at　all；　but　have　stayed　there　till　the　cock…robins　covered　him　with　leaves；　if　he　had　not　suddenly　run　his　head　against　a　wall。

Now　running　your　head　against　a　wall　is　not　pleasant；　especially　if　it　is　a　loose　wall；　with　the　stones　all　set　on　edge；　and　a　sharp　cornered　one　hits　you　between　the　eyes　and　makes　you　see　all　manner　of　beautiful　stars。　　The　stars　are　very　beautiful；　certainly；　but　unfortunately　they　go　in　the　twenty…thousandth　part　of　a　split　second；　and　the　pain　which　comes　after　them　does　not。　　And　so　Tom　hurt　his　head；　but　he　was　a　brave　boy；　and　did　not　mind　that　a　penny。　　He　guessed　that　over　the　wall　the　cover　would　end；　and　up　it　he　went；　and　over　like　a　squirrel。

And　there　he　was；　out　on　the　great　grouse…moors；　which　the　country　folk　called　Harthover　Fell　…　heather　and　bog　and　rock；　stretching　away　and　up；　up　to　the　very　sky。

Now；　Tom　was　a　cunning　little　fellow　…　as　cunning　as　an　old　Exmoor　stag。　　Why　not？　　Though　he　was　but　ten　years　old；　he　had　lived　longer　than　most　stags；　and　had　more　wits　to　start　with　into　the　bargain。

He　knew　as　well　as　a　stag；　that　if　he　backed　he　might　throw　the　hounds　out。　　So　the　first　thing　he　did　when　he　was　over　the　wall　was　to　make　the　neatest　double　sharp　to　his　right；　and　run　along　under　the　wall　for　nearly　half　a　mile。

Whereby　Sir　John；　and　the　keeper；　and　the　steward；　and　the　gardener；　and　the　ploughman；　and　the　dairymaid；　and　all　the　hue…　and…cry　together；　went　on　ahead　half　a　mile　in　the　very　opposite　direction；　and　inside　the　wall；　leaving　him　a　mile　off　on　the　outside；　while　Tom　heard　their　shouts　die　away　in　the　woods　and　chuckled　to　himself　merrily。

At　last　he　came　to　a　dip　in　the　land；　and　went　to　the　bottom　of　it；　and　then　he　turned　bravely　away　from　the　wall　and　up　the　moor；　for　he　knew　that　he　had　put　a　hill　between　him　and　his　enemies；　and　could　go　on　without　their　seeing　him。

But　the　Irishwoman；　alone　of　them　all；　had　seen　which　way　Tom　went。　She　had　kept　ahead　of　every　one　the　whole　time；　and　yet　she　neither　walked　nor　ran。　　She　went　along　quite　smoothly　and　gracefully；　while　her　feet　twinkled　past　each　other　so　fast　that　you　could　not　see　which　was　foremost；　till　every　one　asked　the　other　who　the　strange　woman　was；　and　all　agreed；　for　want　of　anything　better　to　say；　that　she　must　be　in　league　with　Tom。

But　when　she　came　to　the　plantation；　they　lost　sight　of　her；　and　they　could　do　no　less。　　For　she　went　quietly　over　the　wall　after　Tom；　and　followed　him　wherever　he　went。　　Sir　John　and　the　rest　saw　no　more　of　her；　and　out　of　sight　was　out　of　mind。

And　now　Tom　was　right　away　into　the　heather；　over　just　such　a　moor　as　those　in　which　you　have　been　bred；　except　that　there　were　rocks　and　stones　lying　about　everywhere；　and　that；　instead　of　the　moor　growing　flat　as　he　went　upwards；　it　grew　more　and　more　broken　and　hilly；　but　not　so　rough　but　that　little　Tom　could　jog　along　well　enough；　and　find　time；　too；　to　stare　about　at　the　strange　place；　which　was　like　a　new　world　to　him。

He　saw　great　spiders　there；　with　crowns　and　crosses　marked　on　their　backs；　who　sat　in　the　middle　of　their　webs；　and　when　they　saw　Tom　coming；　shook　them　so　fast　that　they　became　invisible。　　Then　he　saw　lizards；　brown　and　gray　and　green；　and　thought　they　were　snakes；　and　would　sting　him；　but　they　were　as　much　frightened　as　he；　and　shot　away　into　the　heath。　　And　then；　under　a　rock；　he　saw　a　pretty　sight　…　a　great　brown；　sharp…nosed　creature；　with　a　white　tag　to　her　brush；　and　round　her　four　or　five　smutty　little　cubs；　the　funniest　fellows　Tom　ever　saw。　　She　lay　on　her　back；　rolling　about；　and　stretching　out　her　legs　and　head　and　tail　in　the　bright　sunshine；　and　the　cubs　jumped　over　her；　and　ran　round　her；　and　nibbled　her　paws；　and　lugged　her　about　by　the　tail；　and　she　seemed　to　enjoy　it　mightily。　　But　one　selfish　little　fellow　stole　away　from　the　rest　to　a　dead　crow　close　by；　and　dragged　it　off　to　hide　it；　though　it　was　nearly　as　big　as　he　was。　　Whereat　all　his　little　brothers　set　off　after　him　in　full　cry；　and　saw　Tom；　and　then　all　ran　back；　and　up　jumped　Mrs。　Vixen；　and　caught　one　up　in　her　mouth；　and　the　rest　toddled　after　her；　and　into　a　dark　crack　in　the　rocks；　and　there　was　an　end　of　the　show。

And　next　he　had　a　fright；　for；　as　he　scrambled　up　a　sandy　brow　…　whirr…poof…poof…cock…cock…kick　…　something　went　off　in　his　face；　with　a　most　horrid　noise。　　He　thought　the　ground　had　blown　up；　and　the　end　of　the　world　come。

And　when　he　opened　his　eyes　（for　he　shut　them　very　tight）　it　was　only　an　old　cock…grouse；　who　had　been　washing　himself　in　sand；　like　an　Arab；　for　want　of　water；　and　who；　when　Tom　had　all　but　trodden　on　him；　jumped　up　with　a　noise　like　the　express　train；　leaving　his　wife　and　children　to　shift　for　themselves；　like　an　old　coward；　and　went　off；　screaming　〃Cur…ru…u…uck；　cur…ru…u…uck　…　murder；　thieves；　fire　…　cur…u…uck…cock…kick　…　the　end　of　the　world　is　come　…　kick…　kick…cock…kick。〃　　He　was　always　fancying　that　the　end　of　the　world　was　come；　when　anything　happened　which　was　farther　off　than　the　end　of　his　own　nose。　　But　the　end　of　the　world　was　not　come；　any　more　than　the　twelfth　of　August　was；　though　the　old　grouse…cock　was　quite　certain　of　it。

So　the　old　grouse　came　back　to　his　wife　and　family　an　hour　afterwards；　and　said　solemnly；　〃Cock…cock…kick；　my　dears；　the　end　of　the　world　is　not　quite　come；　but　I　assure　you　it　is　coming　the　day　after　to…morrow　…　cock。〃　　But　his　wife　had　heard　that　so　often　that　she　knew　all　about　it；　and　a　little　more。　　And；　besides；　she　was　the　mother　of　a　family；　and　had　seven　little　poults　to　wash　and　feed　every　day；　and　that　made　her　very　practical；　and　a　little　sharp…tempered；　so　all　she　answered　was：　　〃Kick…kick…kick　…　go　and　catch　spiders；　go　and　catch　spiders　…　kick。〃

So　Tom　went　on　and　on；　he　hardly　knew　why；　but　he　liked　the　great　wide　strange　place；　and　the　cool　fresh　bracing　air。　　But　he　went　more　and　more　slowly　as　he　got　higher　up　the　hill；　for　now　the　ground　grew　very　bad　indeed。　　Instead　of　soft　turf　and　springy　heather；　he　met　great　patches　of　flat　limestone　rock；　just　like　ill…made　pavements；　with　deep　cracks　between　the　stones　and　ledges；　filled　with　ferns；　so　he　had　to　hop　from　stone　to　stone；　and　now　and　then　he　slipped　in　between；　and　hurt　his　little　bare　toes；　though　they　were　tolerably　tough　ones；　but　still　he　would　go　on　and　up；　he　could　not　tell　why。

What　would　Tom　have　said　if　he　had　seen；　walking　over　the　moor　behind　him；　the　very　same　Irishwoman　who　had　taken　his　part　upon　the　road？　　But　whether　it　was　that　he　looked　too　little　behind　him；　or　whether　it　was　that　she　kept　out　of　sight　behind　the　rocks　and　knolls；　he　never　saw　her；　though　she　saw　him。

And　now　he　began　to　get　a　little　hungry；　and　very　thirsty；　for　he　had　run　a　long　way；　and　the　sun　had　risen　high　in　heaven；　and　the　rock　was　as　hot　as　an　oven；　and　the　air　danced　reels　over　it；　as　it　does　over　a　limekiln；　till　everything　round　seemed　quivering　and　melting　in　the　glare。

But　he　could　see　nothing　to　eat　anywhere；　and　still　less　to　drink。

The　heath　was　full　of　bilberries　and　whimberries；　but　they　were　only　in　flower　yet；　for　it　was　June。　　And　as　for　water；　who　can　find　that　on　the　top　of　a　limestone　r