peeping out above the snow like an apple among straw. We were so busy
watching the head among the snow that we did not notice the man upon
the barrow. Something made us glance towards him, and, to our surprise
and terror, we saw him running across the orchard more than half-way
towards us. In spite of the snow he ran swiftly. We were frightened,
for he was evidently coming towards us. He saw that we saw him, and
lifted one arm and swung it downwards violently, as though to bid us
lie down.

I glanced at Hugh and he at me, and that was enough. We turned at
once, horribly scared, and ran as fast as we could along the narrow
garden path, then over the wall, stumbling in our fright, into the
wood. We did not know why we ran nor where we were going. We only felt
that this strange man was after us, coming in great bounds to catch
us. We were too frightened to run well; even had there been no snow
upon the ground we could not have run our best. We were like rabbits
pursued by a stoat, we seemed to have lost all power in our legs.

We had a good start. Perhaps without that fear upon us we might have
reached the house, but as it was we felt as one feels in a nightmare,
unable to run though in an agony of terror. Getting over the wall was
the worst, for there Hugh stumbled badly, and I had to turn and help
him, watching the man bounding ever nearer, signing to us to stay for
him. A minute later, as we slipped and stumbled through the scrub of
the wood, we heard him close behind us, crying to us in a smothered
voice to stop. We ran on, terrified; and then Hugh's foot caught in a
briar, so that he fell headlong with a little cry.

I turned at once to help him up, feeling like the doe rabbit, which
turns (they say) against a weasel, to defend its young ones. It sounds