"Follow!" said Pilkington, as though bewildered; and the words were but the echo of his thoughts; "follow!--I cannot--yet why should we not make the attempt?" "Step in, if you please, sir. I should not like to speak of it here." He said this hurriedly, in a tone of deep anxiety and apprehension, looking wistfully around and over the dark hills, fearful, apparently, that others were listening. Pilkington obeyed, but with reluctance. The door was cautiously latched; and to prevent the wind, which now began to rise in louder gusts, from bursting this crazy barrier, a heavy stone was laid to the threshold. "It is--let me see"--said Martin, counting the lapse upon his fingers; "ay,--ten--eleven--'tis twelve years ago, on this very night, St Bartlemy's Eve, my father, a hale old man at that time of day, some'at given, though, to hunting and fowling a bit o' moonlights--and a fine penny he made on't, for many a week, selling the birds at Manchester. Well, as I was saying;--one evening before dusk--the sun had but just cooled his chin i' the water away yonder--he trudged off wi' the dogs, Crab and Pincher--two as cunning brutes as ever ran afore a tail. They might ha' known the errand they were going on, sneakin' about wi' such hang-dog looks, which they always took care to put on when t' ould man began to get ready for a night's foraging. They would follow at his heels, almost on their bellies, for fear o' being seen by the Squire's men; but when fairly astart for the game, they could show as much breeding as the best-trained pointer i' the parish. I am getting sadly wide o' my story, your honour; but I used to like the cubs dearly, and many a time I have played with 'em when I wasn't a bit bigger than themselves. They came to a sad end, sir, like most other rogues and thieves besides, and"---- "But we are not getting an inch nearer the end of the story all this time," said Pilkington.