第39章

grazedtherehaditbeenourpleasure，butthatitwasnotworthourwhile，andscarcelyworthJasperKebby’seven；allthelandbeingcropped(asonemightsay)withdesolation。Andnearlyallourknowledgeofitsprangfromtheunaccountabletricksofcowswhohaveyoungcalveswiththem；atwhichtimetheyhavewilddesiretogetawayfromthesightofman，andkeepcalfandmilkforoneanother，althoughitbeinabarrenland。Atleast，ourcowshavegottenthistrick，andIhaveheardotherpeoplecomplainofit。

JohnFry，asIsaid，knewtheplacewellenough，buthelikeditnonethemoreforthat，neitherdidanyofourpeople；and，indeed，alltheneighbourhoodofThomshillandLarksborough，andmostofallBlackBarrowDownlayundergraveimputationofhavingbeenenchantedwithaveryevilspell。Moreover，itwasknown，thoughfolkwereloathtospeakofit，evenonasummermorning，thatSquireThom，whohadbeenmurderedthere，acenturyagoormore，hadbeenseenbyseveralshepherds，eveninthemiddleday，walkingwithhisseveredheadcarriedinhislefthand，andhisrightarmliftedtowardsthesun。

ThereforeitwasveryboldinJohn(asIacknowledged)

toventureacrossthatmooralone，evenwithafastponyunderhim，andsomewhiskybyhisside。Andhewouldneverhavedoneso(ofthatIamquitecertain)，eitherforthesakeofAnnie’ssweetface，orofthegoldenguinea，whichthethreemaidenshadsubscribedtorewardhisskillandvalour。Butthetruthwasthathecouldnotresisthisowngreatcuriosity。For，carefullyspyingacrossthemoor，frombehindthetuftofwhortles，atfirsthecoulddiscovernothinghavinglifeandmotion，exceptthreeorfourwildcattlerovinginvainsearchfornourishment，andadiseasedsheepbanishedhither，andsomecarrioncrowskeepingwatchonher。ButwhenJohnwastakinghisverylastlook，beingonlytoogladtogohomeagain，andacknowledgehimselfbaffled，hethoughthesawafiguremovinginthefarthestdistanceuponBlackBarrowDown，scarcelyathingtobesureofyet，onaccountofthewantofcolour。Butashewatched，thefigurepassedbetweenhimandanakedcliff，andappearedtobeamanonhorseback，makinghiswayverycarefully，infearofbogsandserpents。Forallaboutthereitisadders’

ground，andlargeblackserpentsdwellinthemarshes，andcanswimaswellascrawl。

JohnknewthatthemanwhowasridingtherecouldbenonebutUncleReuben，fornoneoftheDooneseverpassedthatway，andtheshepherdswereafraidofit。

Andnowitseemedanunkindplaceforanunarmedmantoventurethrough，especiallyafteranarmedonewhomightnotliketobespiedupon，andmusthavesomedarkobjectinvisitingsuchdrearsolitudes。

NeverthelessJohnFrysoachedwithunbearablecuriositytoknowwhatanoldman，andastranger，andarichman，andapeaceablecouldpossiblybeafterinthatmysteriousmanner。Moreover，Johnsothrobbedwithhopetofindsomewealthysecret，thatcomewhatwouldofitheresolvedtogototheendofthematter。

Thereforeheonlywaitedawhileforfearofbeingdiscovered，tillMasterHuckabackturnedtotheleftandenteredalittlegully，whencehecouldnotsurveythemoor。ThenJohnremountedandcrossedtheroughlandandthestonyplaces，andpickedhiswayamongthemorassesasfastaseverhedaredtogo；until，inabouthalfanhour，hedrewnightheentranceofthegully。Andnowitbehovedhimtobemostwary；forUncleBenmighthavestoppedinthere，eithertoresthishorseorhavingreachedtheendofhisjourney。

Andineithercase，Johnhadlittledoubtthathehimselfwouldbepistolled，andnothingmoreeverheardofhim。Thereforehemadehisponycometothemouthofitsideways，andleanedoverandpeeredinaroundtherockycorner，whilethelittlehorsecroppedatthebriars。

Buthesoonperceivedthatthegullywasempty，sofaratleastasitscoursewasstraight；andwiththathehastenedintoit，thoughhisheartwasnotworkingeasily。Whenhehadtracedthewindinghollowforhalfamileormore，hesawthatitforked，andonepartledtotheleftupasteepredbank，andtheothertotheright，beingnarrowandslightlytendingdownwards。

Someyellowsandlayhereandtherebetweenthestarvinggrasses，andthisheexaminednarrowlyforatraceofMasterHuckaback。

Atlasthesawthat，beyondalldoubt，themanhewaspursuinghadtakenthecoursewhichleddownhill；anddownthehillhemustfollowhim。AndthisJohndidwithdeepmisgivings，andaheartywishthathehadneverstarteduponsoperilousanerrand。Fornowheknewnotwherehewas，andscarcelydaredtoaskhimself，havingheardofahorriblehole，somewhereinthisneighbourhood，calledtheWizard’sSlough。

ThereforeJohnrodedowntheslope，withsorrow，andgreatcaution。Andthesegrewmoreashewentonward，andhisponyrearedagainsthim，beingscared，althoughanativeoftheroughestmoorland。AndJohnhadjustmadeuphismindthatGodmeantthisforawarning，asthepassageseemeddarkeranddeeper，whensuddenlyheturnedacorner，andsawascenewhichstoppedhim。

FortherewastheWizard’sSloughitself，a