He had no idea in which direction he had been travelling, for he did not
know whether the road from which he had started ran north, south, east,
or west. He noticed that the wind had changed; for, whereas he had lain
down under the lee of the wall, it was now the weather side. He walked in
the same direction as before for two hours, and could then go no farther.
He had seen no signs of human habitation, and had not crossed a road or
even a footpath. Since starting in the morning he had passed no more
walls or fences, and, as far as his eye could reach through the driving
rain, nothing was to be seen save a desolate expanse of moor and bog. He
was, at any rate, free from pursuit for the time, and he thought more of
obtaining food and shelter than of the Enniskilleners.

It was useless pushing further on, even had he been able to do so, while
the rain lasted; for he might have passed within a quarter of a mile of a
habitation without seeing it. He accordingly threw himself down beside
some low bushes, which afforded him some slight protection from the rain.



Chapter 7: The Coming Battle.


Some hours passed, and he was on the point of dropping off to sleep
again, when he heard a whistle repeated once or twice, followed by the
sharp bark of a dog. It was but a short distance away, and, leaping to
his feet, he saw a peasant standing at a distance of two or three hundred
yards.

Walter hurried towards him at a speed of which, a few minutes before, he