Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/91

RV 23 (Rh) snorted, laid his ears back, stretched his two feet forward, and drew his hind feet under him, so as to adopt the best possible posture for obstinate resistance, and refused to move one yard in the direction indicated. Old Martin, much puzzled, now hesitated whether to exert his absolute authority, or to defer to the contumacious obstinacy of Shagram, and was not greatly comforted by his wife's observation, who, seeing Shagram stare with his eyes, distend his nostrils, and tremble with terror, hinted that 'he surely saw more than they could see.'

In this dilemma, the child suddenly exclaimed, 'Bonny leddy signs to us to come yon gate.' They all looked in the direction where the child pointed, but saw nothing, save a wreath of rising mist, which fancy might form into a human figure; but which afforded to Martin only the sorrowful conviction, that the danger of their situation was about to be increased by a heavy fog. He once more essayed to lead forward Shagram; but the animal was inflexible in its determination not to move in the direction Martin recommended. 'Take your awn way for it, then,' said Martin. 'and let us see what you can do for us.'

Shagram. abandoned to the discretion of his own freewill, set off boldly in the direction the child had pointed. There was nothing wonderful in this, nor in its bringing them safe to the other side of the dangerous morass; for the instinct of these animals in traversing bogs is one of the most curious parts of their nature, and is a fact generally established. But it was remarkable that the child more than once mentioned the beautiful lady and her signals, and that Shagram seemed to be in the secret, always moving in the same direction which she indicated. The Lady of Avenel took little notice at the time, her mind being probably occupied by the instant danger; but her attendants exchanged expressive looks with each other more than once.

'All-Hallow Eve! ' said Tibb, in a whisper to Martin.

'For the mercy of Our Lady, not a word of that now!' said Martin in reply. 'Tell your beads, woman, if you cannot be silent.'

When they got once more on firm ground, Martin recognized certain landmarks, or cairns, on the tops of the