"Pish!" ejaculated the young man; and then smiling encouragement to his companion, who was not in the least alarmed, he watched the thin man as he crept up to the rabbit-burrow, peered in, and then laid down his stick. "There's rats at times in these holes," he said, "and they'll get hold of your hands and bite rare sharp." Going down upon his knees, he pressed back a few fronds of bracken, bent forward, thrust in his right hand, seized the little serpent by the tail, and drew it rapidly through his left hand, which closed round the creature's neck, then after stooping to raise his stick he brought the reptile down the bank, writhing and twining about his wrist. "Don't--pray don't let him come near me!" cried the lady excitedly; and she clung to the young man's arm. "Fear not," said the latter, with an encouraging smile, one which seemed to give her confidence, for she sighed, cast down her eyes, and then stood firm, as the adder-hunter took a knife from his pocket, and with a sly smile opened the gaping jaws, and showed the lookers-on the little keen poison-fangs lying flat down backwards on the roof of the viper's mouth, till he raised them up, ending by jerking them both out with the knife-point, and placing the reptile in his wallet. "You do something with them, Churr, do you not?" said Sir Thomas, for his guests' behoof, for he knew by heart the whole of Abel Churr's career. "Yes, worshipful sir," said Churr, humbly: "the people come from far and near to get neddar's fat from me. It cures all kinds of ills in the skin, and heals the worst of cuts." "I wonder whether it would heal broken hearts," said the young man in a whisper, as his eyes met those of Mistress Anne, who cast hers down and blushed. "That will do, Abel Churr, that will do," said Sir Thomas, importantly; and the adder-hunter pulled the front of his hair humbly and slunk away; the big, grizzled man sat himself down on a ledge of the bank, pulled out flint and steel, and proceeded to fill and light his pipe; and, rested by the incident they had witnessed, the little party proceeded on their journey along the rugged lane. "Now, frankly, Sir Thomas," said the young man, "how much farther is it?" "Not five hundred yards, Sir Mark. There, you can see the furnace-smoke over yon clump of beeches, and just to the left, there--that light patch--that's Roehurst Pool." "And pray what has Roehurst Pool to do with Master Jeremiah Cobbe, may I ask?" "To do with him, Sir Mark? Why, it is a great piece of dammed-up water that sets his wheels in motion to make the tilt-hammers beat his iron, grind his charcoal, and blow his furnaces when he casts cannon. Oh, it has everything to do with him, Sir Mark." "Then he really has extensive works here?" "Not so very large; not so very small; but he has many men at work for him getting the iron out of the hills, cutting down wood, making charcoal, and tending his furnaces. He is a busy man, Sir Mark."