They had to walk nearly half a mile before they came to the next beat; and by that time they had arrived at a sort of broad ravine or hollow, the hill leading down to which was covered with tall, branchless pines. Down in the valley commenced a tract of young trees and brushwood, which was supposed to be full of deer. While the beaters were drawing a circle round this tract of brushwood, Hermann posted the guns and courteously gave Will the Hauptplatz, understanding that the young lady was about to try her luck. At this point there was a mass of earth and roots which had been torn up by the falling of a pine—a little embankment some five feet high, over which one could easily command the whole line of brushwood lying in front. This was the spot where Will posted Annie Brunel. He placed the barrel of the gun on the edge of this natural rampart, and then showed her how, whenever she saw a deer spring out into the sunlight down below in the valley, she was noiselessly to point the gun, keep the stock well against her shoulder, and fire. "Only take care," said he, "that it isn’t a clog or a boy that comes out of the bushes." "What if I shoot you?" she said. "You can’t shoot me, any more than you can shoot yourself. I shall go up the hill a bit to overlook you, and if it should be a dog, I’ll shout out before you murder him." Here the long, low, steady call of Spiegelmann’s horn was heard, with Hermann’s reply. "When the next horn calls, you may begin to look out. Hold out your hand." She held out her right hand, wonderingly, and showed him the small white fingers. "It is quite steady; but your heart beats." "It generally does," she said, with a smile. "It is a weakness, I know, but——" Here the fine anticipatory flourish of the keeper’s bugle again came echoing through the trees. Will gave over the gun to her, told her to take time and not be afraid, and then retired somewhat farther up the hill. He ensconced himself behind a tall grey pine, whence, without being seen, he could command a view of the entire length of brushwood, and of Miss Brunel in her place of concealment. "If she only remains cool," he thought, "she is certain to be successful." Once only she looked round and up the hill towards him, and there was a sort of constrained smile about her lips. "I am afraid she is getting frightened," he thought now. The intense sultry silence of the place certainly heightened her nervous expectation, for she could distinctly hear her heart thumping against her side. Expectancy became a positive pain—an agony that seemed to be choking her; but never for a moment did she think of abandoning her post. Meanwhile Will’s experienced eye failed to detect the least motion among the bushes, nor could he hear the faintest noise from the dogs. Yet Hermann had told him that this was one of the best beats in the neighbourhood; and so he patiently waited, knowing that it was only a matter of time.