New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-03
UP ON THE MOOR
Dns morn,no last shoo.,,,

same delightful virtues Then there va MaSre
Carew, frank and fearless girl of twenty whose
plexion told thab tho Squire was not far wrong
| IN Boosting OF her as "pure Deyonshire born and
bred just now she is busily ministering TO the
creature comfort of her brother Tom and his
guest, AlecI Fairburn, young Highland laird
| whose acquaintance Tom had lately made in
| Town; and In his fathers own hospitable fashion
nae Drought home for weeks shooting on the
| moor.
For some days after the arrival Of the young
! ing fashion, which made the Highlander feel at
home in his new quarters at once but to-day the
sun shone cheerily out, and all preparations had
been made for a long days sport.
| But you must beware OF the Dartmoor focs
| Mr.. Fatrburn said Miss Madge, presently. You
| know they come down with extraordinary sud
denness and it's no Joke to be lost up ON the moor
| In fog / assure you.
The young laird turned to her with smile.
"You forget Miss Csrcw, that fog is no
| stranger in the Highlands either. and that we
| have our moors as well as YOU. j must have
| proited very little by the Devastating at homo
Il mist makes Inc suddenly forget the points OF
the compass"
"But all the points of the compass together
won't you from tumbling into peathole
| fun of nl1-blaclI water or pitching, head first
down old quarry when the fog is so thick you
can't see a yard before you,7 persisted Madge.
Il think you may make yourself easy on my
| account. though OF course | am honorcd by your
| sOlcitude \ sportsman must be prepared for q
certain amount Of risk, but | have never vet
! failed TO make my head keep my feet from such
| Carcw.'
There was lust enough pride in the young mans
CAV tone 10 check the reply which rose 10 Madges
| lrs but not 10 prevent quiet whisper to her pet
brother as she stood at the hall-door to watch the
start
! if YOU can help it. You know our fogs better
than he does. "
And rood-naturcd lone-limbed Tom nodded
ready assent he followed the Squire and his
| guest down the broad old steFs.
The three had done capital mornings work,
and covered many mile of broken. undulatng
mOorland, before they sat down to their one
! o'clock lunch. So, perhars ii was no great won
| der that when the good things Madge's own far
! hands had carefully Uacked for them had been
discussed with such appetite as four hours steady
| tTamping could give. both Tom and the Squire
should throw themselves luXuriously back on the
short warm turf. and. from gazing in silence at
the tieccy clouds sailing overhead sink INTO one
of those brief, delicious slumbcrs in which alone
taste the full enjoyment Of sleep. while their
two followers were busy dsposing Of the remains
| of the feast
But Alecll Fairbun was one of those uncom-
! fOrtably restless mOrtals for whom even such an
! Indulgence holds out no temptation; so that
! though for a little while he kept watch over his
| doing companions with laudable attempt at
patience. il needed only the sight OF large bird
| sailing slowly down the wind at some little dis
tance TO make the young laird spring to his feet
and seize his gun.
There goes heron I must have that fell
low TO stuff and pair with the one | got last year.
! I'll be back in half an hour, Mitchemore7
The hcad-l1eeTer looked up from his lunch with
beaten old face.
"Now, looSee here, Jan Pearce. - he remarked.
severely. to his subordinate as he watched the
! young fellow deTar at a long, swimming pace;
when us started this blessed mornin,' young
! Squire. lie sail 10 me, 'Mitche'more.' saith he.
daunt'ee 90 fur 10 lose sight o that there young
gentleman. cause hem a stranger 10 these ere
parts But | just put it to zee. Jan. be it ray
sonablc to AK man o NY years 10 90 afr a cllse-
eandering in the midst o. his vittes | bain't
eoin' to 10 IT, Jan Poarce So there -
"Ees fay, Master Mitcheinore. aSsented the
vittos arl we'll the quality. doth And
SO both Squire and young squire knowth. and
tskcs their little rest like Chistens But they
funiners be puir wheesht sort O. bod S-maze as
sheep the half o. EN- Lit I'm 60, master;
hem BIZ enough 10 take care o. hizzel and have
bit more nasty in Iace doee now
in solitude. on and still on. happed that heron
before him now alightng till he ain ost
tempted 10 risk long shot. then SLOWLY rising
AM sailing away out oI sl-nt NcarH' pui he. et
quite The bird might have been an evil s'i"t
luin~ the rursuer 70 destruction. 50 rcrtinacions
~ ala II contrivc q Keen alive tie eNclteWclt OF
the chase And Nlr Farhurn not only
keen SPORTSMAN. bur IN obstinate >cotchman who
never knew when ne was beaten Time and
distance alike faded from his thoughts in the
ardor OF the rWsuit until lie was at leneth
recalled TO sense Of tie situation hv fin ing
his further progress checked by LITTLE river
which Wound its wav alon- tie bottom Of sieco
/ Tavinc. and standing on the edge or the Gill;
had the modification to watch the heron flap
slowly away into the Blue distance Ih'n Wlth
! hasty ejaculation. Aleck turned away and took
out his watch
by Joye nearly O'Clock, and prom ised to
be back in half all hour nice sort Of fellow
they'll be thinking ne If they have waited there
| all this time Well, ] suppose there's nothing
for it but 10 make tie best sieed back again
Its east for about all hour and then bit south.
I know.
No misgiying as TO the correctness Of this con-
clusion entered Mr. Fairbun's head TIL after
nearly an hours sharp walking. Then an un-
comfortable sus picon that the great tor before
him strangely unfamiliar IN aspect gradually
! forced It's way 10 the front Just at the same
| time the wind suddenly shifted 10 the west and
before the question OF the tors Identity could be
settled the whole horizon had vanished from the
wanderers sight; and dense, dark ios advanced
over the L with Giant strides till II completely
en- elored him in its chill embrace
To attempt to advance In the sudden darkness
seemed folly. for pitfalls abounded on every siie
and even Aleck FairbuIns i'm etuOsity was so far
qucnched that he sat himself down on great
block Of g1ay granite 10 await the course Of
events. quarter of an hour-half an hour
hour went by thus. ami still no hint ot the
cold veil being lifted. Then Celtic impatcnce
could no longer be controlled.
"Bogholes and quauies be HANGED | can't
sit here all night. exclaimed Alcck. as he rose
from his hard seat. his limbs already chilled and
stif "There must surely be some sort Of shelter
to he found. even in this fofsakcn end OF the
earth. il one does but look carefully enough for
it. At any rate. | can't stand this any longer.
But il was desperately slow work in the semi
darkness feeling ones way cautiously forward
over the rough and broken ground. thic<ly
strewn with sharp fragments OF granite and the
autumn evening was far advanced before Aleck
at last found himself near human habitation-
low stone hut. which seemed 10 start out OF
the ground at his feet So suddenly 1t doomed uron
him THROUGH the fog. The cottage stood quite
alone surrounded by low stone wall. which in
closed little bit Of land that had been reclaimed
from the moor.
But no friendly CLEAN shOne out from the small
square window TO welcome the weary and be
lated tray eller nor did his loud and continuous
knocking elicit any answer from within. sun,
inhabited or nnhabited the hut offered at
least better shelter for the night than the cold
damp moor could do. So with one vigorous push
from his broad shoulder MIR FairhWn presently
forced open the low door and stumbled forward
into the dark apartment AT fist lac thought Ii
untenanted There were en- beIs on the hearth.
but not a spark OF life in them. He spoke but