"Thank you, Master Hempen, but I am quite able to look after myself," said Hazel haughtily. And then an anxious look came into her eyes. "I hope--oh! I hope that you'll find Master Ranulph safe and sound at Moongrass! It's all so ... well, so very strange. That old goatherd, who do you suppose he was? One meets strange people near the Elfin Marches. You'll let me know if all is well ... won't you?" Luke promised. Hazel's words had dampened his spirits and brought back all his anxiety, and the fifteen miles to Moongrass, in spite of a good horse, seemed interminable. Alas! there was no Ranulph at the Jellygreens' farm; but, to Luke's bewilderment, it turned out that the farmer had been expecting him, as he had, a few days previously, received a letter from Master Nathaniel, from which it was clear that he imagined his son was already at Moongrass. So there was nothing for Luke but, with a heavy heart, to start off the next morning for Lud, where, as we have seen, he arrived a few hours after Master Nathaniel had left it. CHAPTER XXII WHO IS PORTUNUS? About half-way to Swan, Master Nathaniel, having tethered his horse to a tree, was reclining drowsily under the shade of another. It was midday, and the further west he rode the warmer it grew; it was rather as if he were riding backward through the months. Suddenly he was aroused by a dry little laugh, and looking round, he saw crouching beside him, an odd-looking old man, with very bright eyes. "By my Great-aunt's rump, and who may you be?" enquired Master Nathaniel testily. The old man shut his eyes, gulped several times, and replied: "Who are you? Who is me? Answer my riddle and come and see," and then he stamped impatiently, as if that had not been what he had wished to say. "Some cracked old rustic, I suppose," thought Master Nathaniel, and closed his eyes; in the hopes that when the old fellow saw he was not inclined for conversation he would go away. But the unwelcome visitor continued to crouch beside him, now and then giving him little jogs in the elbow, which was very irritating when one happened to be hot and tired and longing for forty winks. "What are you doing?" cried Master Nathaniel irritably. "I milk blue ewes; I reap red flowers, I weave the story of dead hours," answered the old man. "Oh, do you? Well, I wish you'd go now, this moment, and milk your red ewes ... I want to go to sleep," and he pulled his hat further down over his eyes and pretended to snore. But suddenly he sprang to his feet with a yap of pain. The old man had prodded him in his belly, and was standing looking at him out of his startlingly bright eyes, with his head slightly on one side. "Don't you try that on, old fellow!" cried Master Nathaniel angrily. "You're a nuisance, that's what you are. Why can't you leave me alone?"