The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-08 00:00:00

A SYLVAN INCIDENT.

It was, then, on a most lovely afternoon, towards the
end of July, when the bucks were getting into very good
condition, that, with the John Manton rifle in hand, I
sauntered slowly from the woodman's cottage in Ilobisly
enclosure, in a direction leading down to the brook at
Osman's Ford, or Oarnanly Ford, as it is Sometimes called,
near which now stands the Holmsly station on the South-
ampton and Ringwood line of railway, I had taken time
by the forelock, in order that I might watch any veerings
in the summer air, and change my place to some other
likely spot for a buck if the wind suited not my first-
selected position ; but I gave the preference to the alder
swamp on the brook that limited a little open lawn lying
between it and the adjoining enclosure, because I had been
long aware that there occasionally fed a very good deer,
That he, with the usual instinctive caution of a fat buck,
would not show himself till it was nearly dark, I very well
knew; so I sauntered along down the swamp and the little
murmuring brook, whose very small trout were rising and
the minnowbood frisking about at play, to select some good
ambush whence I could watch the lawn without being my.
self observed.

Before the mania for draining had affected the wits of
people in charge of the Crown lands the little brook was
essentially a forest-brook, meandering now here, now there,
breaking into little rippling shallows over pebbly beds, or
sleeping in deeper holes where grew the water-lily. Through
beds of golden bog-myrtle it sometimes glided noiselessly
along, and at others smoothly flowed by willows and alder
trees. By the brink of a shallow, then, at last, I halted;
for on the other side of the stream there was a fine old
alder stump, of very good breadth, high up from the marshy
land on which it stood, from whose pollard top yet branched
strong arms of luxurious vegetation. This alder stood the
king of a host of others that, broke and bent, grew around
it, their boughs entwined with the wild honeysuckle and
rose, making in all a most sweet cover, over which the
height of the larger tree gave me just room and space enough
to command the length and breadth of the lawns
Provi)us to climbing to this most eligible position, I drew
from a lit:le pocket a few light downy feathers from
the breast of a duck I had wrapped in paper, and cast one
of them into the hot, stagnant air, in order to ascertain the
quarter of the wind. There was se tree enough to indicate
the direction, but what little there was showed that it came
from a south-westerly direction—the very quarter I desired,
This grand point ascertained, I climbed up early to my syl-
van throne, in order that the scent of my steps might not
affect the wary herd, and the rising dew assist to drown the
dreaded prognostication of danger.
Talk of the' happiness of a king.'—figurative method of
speech as that is—no happiness on earth could surpass
mine, and none that was shared in by more than two in
the palaces, castles, and mansions of the world could come
near it. I was the monarch of all I surveyed, from the
straight hunting-h3rn stuck in my bolt to call my man
and the woodmen from the cottage if I killed a deer, to the
rifle and the wild surrounding forest. The music in the air
appeared to have been made expressly for my enjoyment.
The goat-sucker purred his adulations,the yellow-hammer
sounded his long, low, sweet evening song from a gorse
bush, and the white-throat chided and warbled from the
tall, high reeds.

It was too early yet for the expected bunk to make his
appearance,so I occasionally directed my eyes to the rising
trout in the stream below me, or to the chubby head of a
water rat which, beaver fashion, cut down green flags, and
fed on the juicy end of them.

It was getting late, the sun was below the westward
trees, and the sky above showing the crimson blush of the
descending planet, when, at some distance above me on the
stream, my ear caught the cry of a startled blackbird. It
was followed by no " twit—twit," denouncing the presence
of some predatory animal, but was simply the cry of the
bird when either a man or some large animal comes sud-
denly upon it, and makes it start from the ground to wing.
It was quite enough to invite further attention, for either
there was a human being there or thereabouts, to render
my further vigil for a deer abortive—or there was some
large animal other than a fox, otter, stoat, weasel, or cat,
th.tt had scared the blackbird; and it might be the very
deer I was in quest of.
For a time all remained still, when suddenly I thought
my ear detected the slightest occasional splash of water. It
certainly was not that of the graceful little goldfinch which
I had previously seen makiLg his evening ablution on the
margin of a shallow close to me, and peering from side to
side in his crimson cap, as if self-satiefied with his appear-
ance in the watery mirror. The goldfinch and all little
birds were gone to bed, the earliest bat was flitting about,
and the splash of the water was not like that of a wild
duck, which perhaps it might be. No—it was not a
wild duck, for, glancing my eye to the surface ot the
quick stream, I saw borne towards me on its bosom the
blossoms of the wild rose, so there was something in the
brook taller than a duck, probably the velveted antlers ot
the deer, which, shaken at the annoying flies, had brushed
away the bloom that now passed beneath the tree whereon
I was.
In another moment there were steps in the water : that
was quite evident. ',l:llat it was a deer of mu° sort 'telt

41/
perfectly certain; and the next turn in the brook, beoi
fl
the higher alders, must place the buck or doe, Whioo
it was, within 30 yards of my rifle, now cocked, 1339
on its light trigger, and the sight directed on the
,11
where perhaps the goodly buck in one moment more 0'
stand confessed. 10
None but those as much attached to woodcraft as • I
will understand the thrill at my heart which came 14:01tis
heard the close approaching steps in the water, 0086i°.
stopping and again coming on, and then beheld the r1:0
ing wave on the surface of the brook come circling 0.„1
the corner, wide of the moving thing that caused it tom
and then die away.
It is in sight I—a white and beautiful hand end 6r:h
picking water-weeds or flowers, and then a lovely
with fair, luxuriant hair ; and then, there, on the Peb,;;
shallow stream, the water reaching not 0 her knees, s"
a chasing girl, of abou, or rather under sixteen 515/1
age.
above, le
s

I feared to stir in my umbrageous screen 10/
should alarm her, or so force myself on her notice •
she did not desire to be seen; so, at the moment, I 01°110
it better to let her p ins by me, intent as she was uP°l3
It
water, well knowing that but a very little lower devil'
stream the shallows would cease, and she must cotae4)
dry land and end her botanical occupation, for she betidi
her hand a book, between the rough leaves of which
her put several specimens of aqueous plants, as WeliLl
occasional bit of fern. Therefore without interruPtw"
let her proceed in her occupation. P
An accident, however, soon brought me to her suli
when she was within ten yards of the old tree in wh
was hidden, she uttered a sudden shriek of pain, and -
her white feet seemed to be held by what I at first de 1,
to be the thorn of a bramble. She slightly pulled at /10#
ever it was that held her, but the obstacle to her 105,0
held fast, and in another instant I could see what loon
be a string or piece of line extending from the ban
the water and to her foot, and then again to the ,
bank, so that mid-stream she was detained. Gtosl3iOrllo
what had happened, and not to startle her too much "0
ablupt descent, I exclaimed from amidst WY lictgel
" Please do not attempt to move, and do not be frighte"
I will come and assist you."
#4 01
Down to the water dropped the delicate garnaell— y
the more delicate limbs at the sound of my voice; butol,
fore she could reply, my riflo rested on the branch d
was in the water with her. Finding that she bad oty
the sole of one of her pretty feet on a small hook ea stiji
set across the brook for the little trout, with the 1:1111,,
knife at my waist I cut the string, and taking her uP
arms, while she steadied herself with one hand uPOO
1
neck, I bore her to the shore and up to the drier 18

where I seated her on the grass.
She looked truly beautiful! Kneeling down "01
wounded foot in the gentlest way, I begged hex not
afraid, but to lot me look at it. She leant on her elbet
I said this, knowing that she was unable to walk ; htt)
tisfied that I was a gentleman, she permitted me to ta!;11
graceful instep in my hand, and, with the sharp 13°1.0
ray penknife, with scarcely any pain to her, I contrn,
extract the hook, which was fixed firmly in the 516111
set her once more free. ; ea"
She then undid a little bundle she had conir-Ims+
attach to her waist, that held her shoes and stock')
and while she put them on, I went back to the brooXfoy
found the book she had in her hand, and which had 04
on the bank as I carried her from the water. On la
she had adjusted her dress, which, however, about het
was very wet, and she was standing up and blushial
parently about to ask a favour. Old
Addressing me, then, by name, for it seemed eb°
me by sight, she told me that she had some cotaP°
and a carriage not far off, and that she was porfeetlY
and could find them very soon. The one request elle
to make was, that I would not accompany her bacl to
friends, nor tell anybody what had happened. js
I promised this, and faithfully kept my word for
succeeding years, till she had become the mistress °f
actions, and had been placed far from me. Giving Pleto
hand, as might have been expected, I saluted it ; 011,e 40
walked away, as she alone could walk, and the 11,(0
cover soon shut her out from further observation. 'OOl
the first hour of my acquaintance with her, and fr°lll,oll
time to this we have maintained a friendship that 11-1$
time, distance, nor human ingenuity, has had the I)"
to destroy.
When shG went away, daylight seemed to banev e
Td
with her, for then the sky lost all its roseate coletit'ai
moon and stars came out, and a most lovely night °-1310
It was too late for me to seek another deer, and not
to infringe any injunction the young lady had gi/011011
I took a circuitous way by which to reach the vi°°",;l4
cottage, where I had left my pony and her little o°l'lol'
when, as I proceeded down the woodland ride, hi:red.?,
places on the sward or on the grassy bank, htluw-
glow-worms showed their tiny lamps.
fi VC°,
Altogether the work, as a whole—in ue-titobl°;
its loose and scrambling character as an 61;00'
graphy—is something unquestionably of 111100°,
achievement. And it is so, if for no ottlefog e
than this, that, while dealing with St"
-tlt
thorough woridlings, it is, in the general 1,0
so singularly refreshing and exhilirating.