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But
I
saw
something
else
more
interesting
.
The
house
stood
almost
on
the
summit
of
a
swell
of
moorland
which
crowned
a
sort
of
plateau
,
and
there
was
no
higher
point
nearer
than
the
big
hills
six
miles
off
.
The
actual
summit
,
as
I
have
mentioned
,
was
a
biggish
clump
of
trees
--
firs
mostly
,
with
a
few
ashes
and
beeches
.
On
the
dovecot
I
was
almost
on
a
level
with
the
tree-tops
,
and
could
see
what
lay
beyond
.
The
wood
was
not
solid
,
but
only
a
ring
,
and
inside
was
an
oval
of
green
turf
,
for
all
the
world
like
a
big
cricket-field
.
I
did
n't
take
long
to
guess
what
it
was
.
It
was
an
aerodrome
,
and
a
secret
one
.
The
place
had
been
most
cunningly
chosen
.
For
suppose
anyone
were
watching
an
aeroplane
descending
here
,
he
would
think
it
had
gone
over
the
hill
beyond
the
trees
.
As
the
place
was
on
the
top
of
a
rise
in
the
midst
of
a
big
amphitheatre
,
any
observer
from
any
direction
would
conclude
it
had
passed
out
of
view
behind
the
hill
.
Only
a
man
very
close
at
hand
would
realize
that
the
aeroplane
had
not
gone
over
but
had
descended
in
the
midst
of
the
wood
.
An
observer
with
a
telescope
on
one
of
the
higher
hills
might
have
discovered
the
truth
,
but
only
herds
went
there
,
and
herds
do
not
carry
spy-glasses
.
When
I
looked
from
the
dovecot
I
could
see
far
away
a
blue
line
which
I
knew
was
the
sea
,
and
I
grew
furious
to
think
that
our
enemies
had
this
secret
conning-tower
to
rake
our
waterways
.
Then
I
reflected
that
if
that
aeroplane
came
back
the
chances
were
ten
to
one
that
I
would
be
discovered
.
So
through
the
afternoon
I
lay
and
prayed
for
the
coming
of
darkness
,
and
glad
I
was
when
the
sun
went
down
over
the
big
western
hills
and
the
twilight
haze
crept
over
the
moor
.
The
aeroplane
was
late
.
The
gloaming
was
far
advanced
when
I
heard
the
beat
of
wings
and
saw
it
volplaning
downward
to
its
home
in
the
wood
.
Lights
twinkled
for
a
bit
and
there
was
much
coming
and
going
from
the
house
.
Then
the
dark
fell
,
and
silence
.
Thank
God
it
was
a
black
night
.
The
moon
was
well
on
its
last
quarter
and
would
not
rise
till
late
.
My
thirst
was
too
great
to
allow
me
to
tarry
,
so
about
nine
o'clock
,
so
far
as
I
could
judge
,
I
started
to
descend
.
It
was
n't
easy
,
and
half-way
down
I
heard
the
back
door
of
the
house
open
,
and
saw
the
gleam
of
a
lantern
against
the
mill
wall
.
For
some
agonizing
minutes
I
hung
by
the
ivy
and
prayed
that
whoever
it
was
would
not
come
round
by
the
dovecot
.
Then
the
light
disappeared
,
and
I
dropped
as
softly
as
I
could
on
to
the
hard
soil
of
the
yard
.
I
crawled
on
my
belly
in
the
lee
of
a
stone
dyke
till
I
reached
the
fringe
of
trees
which
surrounded
the
house
.
If
I
had
known
how
to
do
it
I
would
have
tried
to
put
that
aeroplane
out
of
action
,
but
I
realized
that
any
attempt
would
probably
be
futile
I
was
pretty
certain
that
there
would
be
some
kind
of
defence
round
the
house
,
so
I
went
through
the
wood
on
hands
and
knees
,
feeling
carefully
every
inch
before
me
.
It
was
as
well
,
for
presently
I
came
on
a
wire
about
two
feet
from
the
ground
.
If
I
had
tripped
over
that
,
it
would
doubtless
have
rung
some
bell
in
the
house
and
I
would
have
been
captured
.
A
hundred
yards
farther
on
I
found
another
wire
cunningly
placed
on
the
edge
of
a
small
stream
.
Beyond
that
lay
the
moor
,
and
in
five
minutes
I
was
deep
in
bracken
and
heather
.
Soon
I
was
round
the
shoulder
of
the
rise
,
in
the
little
glen
from
which
the
mill-lade
flowed
.
Ten
minutes
later
my
face
was
in
the
spring
,
and
I
was
soaking
down
pints
of
the
blessed
water
.
But
I
did
not
stop
till
I
had
put
half
a
dozen
miles
between
me
and
that
accursed
dwelling
.
I
sat
down
on
a
hill-top
and
took
stock
of
my
position
.
I
was
n't
feeling
very
happy
,
for
my
natural
thankfulness
at
my
escape
was
clouded
by
my
severe
bodily
discomfort
.
Those
lentonite
fumes
had
fairly
poisoned
me
,
and
the
baking
hours
on
the
dovecot
had
n't
helped
matters
.
I
had
a
crushing
headache
,
and
felt
as
sick
as
a
cat
.
Also
my
shoulder
was
in
a
bad
way
.
At
first
I
thought
it
was
only
a
bruise
,
but
it
seemed
to
be
swelling
,
and
I
had
no
use
of
my
left
arm
.
