. Highways and byways in Devon and Cornwall. ff the corners of the large waste banks,and drowning them deeper and deeper under the rippling the tide is out, it is as if the town had lost its soul; butlife and energy come back with the flowing water. A string ofbarges rounds the point on its way up from Padstow, and acouple of small schooners forge slowly onward underneath thosehills which the sunset is dyeing rose and purple. This valley of the river Camel is full of haunted lanes andhouses. A mile or so up the river stands the ancient church of 336 THAI Egloshayle. Unde
. Highways and byways in Devon and Cornwall. ff the corners of the large waste banks,and drowning them deeper and deeper under the rippling the tide is out, it is as if the town had lost its soul; butlife and energy come back with the flowing water. A string ofbarges rounds the point on its way up from Padstow, and acouple of small schooners forge slowly onward underneath thosehills which the sunset is dyeing rose and purple. This valley of the river Camel is full of haunted lanes andhouses. A mile or so up the river stands the ancient church of 336 THAI Egloshayle. Under a night-sky the church is scarcely if the clouds roll back from the moon, and let a suddenblaze of light fall over the river bed, you will see the old graytower clearly, standing out from a group of chestnut trees, andmay even discern an open space beside the churchyard wallwhere the high-road meets the lane leading to the village. Theroad gleams beneath the moonlight; but you are too far distantto see any object moving on X A Cornish Mill near Wadebridge. If it were otherwise, you might now see—but never savewhen the moon is bright—a white rabbit gambolling about thisopen space beside the churchyard wall; a pretty, long-earedrabbit with pink eyes, like any childs pet escaped from itshutch. It goes loppeting about among the grasses by thecorner of the marsh; and if any one should pass, will sit andlook at him with fearless eyes. And well it may. It hasnothing to dread from any one dwelling in those parts. Novillager would attempt to catch it. No boy would aim a blow xix A HAUNTED VALLEY 337 at it. [f any one walking late sees the white rabbit lopping athis heels, he makes no effort to drive it away, but quickens hispace, and hopes some good angel may stand between him and harm. A belated postman, terrified tO find he could not shakeoff the pretty white Creature at his heels, lost his head and turned and struck fiercely at it with his oaken cudgel. He felt
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