Section 203. THE TWO SCHOOLBOYS, OR EYES AND NO EYES. III.
Reading edition
Tutor.—True. Vipers frequent[1] those turfy, boggy grounds[2] pretty much, and I have known several turf-cutters bitten by them.
William.—They are very venomous, are they not?
Tutor.—Enough so[3] to make their wounds painful and dangerous, though they seldom prove fatal.
William.—Well, I then took my course[4] up to the windmill on the mount. I climbed up the steps of the mill, in order to get a better view of the country round[5]. What an extensive prospect! I counted fifteen church steeples; I saw several gentlemen’s houses[6] peeping out from the midst of green woods and plantations[7]; and I could trace the windings[8] of the river all along the low grounds, till it was lost behind a ridge of hills[9]. But I will tell you what I mean to do[10], if you will give me leave.
Tutor.—What is that[11]?
William.—I will go again and take with me Carey’s county map[12], by which I shall probably be able to make out most of the places.
Tutor.—You shall have it; and I will go with you, and take my pocket spying-glass.
William.—I shall be very glad of that. Well, a thought struck me, that, as the hill is called Camp-Mount, there might probably be some remains of ditches and mounds[13] with which I have read that camps were surrounded. And I really believe I discovered something of that sort[14] running one side of the mount.
Tutor.—Very likely you might[15]. I know antiquaries have described such remains as existing there, which some suppose to be Roman, others Danish[16]. We will examine them when we go.
William.—From the hill I went straight down to the meadows below, and walked on the side of a brook that runs[17] into the river. It[18] was all bordered with reeds and tall flowering-plants (S. 16, N. 10), quite different from those I had seen on the heath. As I was getting down[19] the bank to reach one of them, I heard something plunge into the water near me. It was a large water-rat, and I saw it swim over to the other side, and go[20] into its hole. There were[21] a great many large dragon-flies all about the stream. I caught one of the finest, and have him here in a leaf. But how I longed to catch a bird that I saw hovering[22] over the water, and every now and then darting into it! It was all over a mixture of the most beautiful green and blue, with some orange colour[23]. It was somewhat less than a thrush, and had a large head and bill, and a short tail.