"It was now getting on for luncheon time, so we made for a farm-house, got some bread and cheese and milk, and a feed for our horses, and then set out again; and weary work we had. At last I was almost giving up in despair, and beginning to think that we had better go home and try some other plan, when, as we were passing near a copse, we saw a tall figure slouching along through the melting snow. The man did not see us at first, but when he looked round and made out who we were, he began to quicken his pace, and strode along wonderfully. There was no mistaking him; it was Jim Jarrocks, the fellow who won my sovereign in that foolish match on Marley Heath. Jim evidently had rather we had not met, for he had a couple of hares slung over his shoulder, which he could not well hide. However, there was no help for it, so he put a bold face on the matter, and touched his hat as I overtook him, and said, `Your servant, Mr Walter; I hope you're well.' Of course I did not think anything about the hares then, I was too full of Amos; so I asked him if he had seen Amos alone, or with another horseman. `No, sir,' he replied, `I've not; but I'll tell you what I've seen. Last night I found Mr Amos's pony, Prince, about a mile from here; he was saddled and bridled, and had broke loose somehow or other, it seemed. So, as in duty bound, I got on him, and rode him over to the Manor-house, and fastened him up in the stable-yard; for it was late, and I didn't like to rouse anybody.'--`All right, Jim,' I said; `Dick found him when he went to the stables this morning. But whereabouts was it that you found him?'--`Well, it's a queer and awkward road to get to it,' he said; `but I can show you the way.'--`And is there any house near where you found Prince?' I asked.--`House! no; nothing of the kind,' said he, `except the brickmaker's cottage, about a mile further on.'--`And no one lives in that cottage, I suppose?'--`No; and hasn't done for months past;'-- then he stopped all of a sudden, and said, `By-the-by, there was smoke coming out of the chimney of that cottage as I passed it last night; that was strange anyhow.'--`Well, then, Jim,' I said, `there may be some one in it now, and we can find out if they've seen anything of my brother. Just put us in the way to the cottage; there's a good man.'--`By all means,' he said, and strode on before us for about a mile, and then pointed up a winding lane. `There,' he cried; `keep along that lane till you come to an open field, and you'll soon see the cottage; you can't miss it, for there isn't another anywhere about. Good afternoon, sir.' And away he went, evidently glad to get off with his hares as speedily as possible. The rest does not take much telling. We soon came to the cottage, and discovered dear Amos, and encountered that miserable man who has treated him so cruelly. Ah! well, it's been a good ending to a bad beginning."