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Middleton touched his hat and turned to Searound

"Better, your Grace," he answered, "as I was saying to this gentles h"

There was a glint of adh the wood, and the little party of guns gossiped together while the game was collected Terniloff, his usual pallor chased away by the bracing wind and the pleasure of the sport, was affable and even loquacious He had great estates of his own in Saxony and was explaining to the Duke his lanced at his horn-riht, sir," he said "Would you care about a partridge drive, or should we do through the hoestion," Terniloff observed diffidently, " wood just across the marshes"

There was a moment's rather curious silence Do towards the wood in question, as though fascinated by its almost sinister-like blackness and density Middleton had dropped so to himself

"We call that the Black Wood," Dominey said calmly, "and I am rather afraid that the pheasants who find their way there claim sanctuary What do you think, Middleton?"

The old man turned his head slowly and looked at his master Somehow or other, every scrap of colour seemed to have faded out of his bronzed face His eyes were filled with that vague horror of the supernatural cost the peasant folk of various localities His voice shook The old fear was back again

"You wouldn't put the beaters in there, Squire?" he faltered; "not that there's one of theainst a local superstition?" the Duke enquired

"That's not altogether local, your Grace," Middleton replied, "as the Squire himself will tell you I doubt whether there's a beater in all Norfolk would go through the Black Wood, if you paid hiold for it--Here, you lads"

He turned to the beaters, ere standing waiting for instructions a few yards away There were a dozen of theh s thick sticks

"There's one of the gentle theh the Black Wood of Don apiece?--Watch their faces, your Grace--Now then, lads?"