Page:Through South Westland.djvu/306

194 men had to prop an old door across the hearth to keep a remnant of the fire in!

It is certainly a very inconvenient house in this respect, and in windy weather always full of wood-ashes and dust; nevertheless our visitor enjoyed his supper, and he and Transome smoked a pipe together, and then he rode away as dusk was falling.

A happy change in the night ushered in a bright sunny morning: the air crisp as with frost, and everything shining after the rain. We were early astir, the fire burned clear, and I fried some bacon; the horses were caught, and we started across the flat and rode through the “Gate of Death,” in high hopes of a successful day. The “sturm und drang” of the last few days had but made us all the keener, and we were glad once more to see the cloudless sunshine and blue sky over the valley.