38 WHISPERS FROM FAIRVLAND. [i.

sit down, and taking his own seat near them, waited
until the sun should have hid his head before the
approaching shades of evening.

In a few minutes this was the case, and at the
direction of the Dwarf, the three travellers all rose up
and ascended the hill once more. They had not far
to go, for at the distance of a few yards they were on
the top of the ridge of hill, and suddenly came upon
the view of the country beyond. The girls started
back with “astonishment. Their own country was full
of meads and dales, woods and streams, plants and
flowers, the glorious vegetation of a fertile land.
Before their eyes was.a country entirely different.
Bare and bleak and barren it looked, the treés stunted
and rugged, the green fields few and far between.
But, ever and anon, bright fires flashing up over the
surface of the country showed its character at once to
those who knew what they betokened. The wealth of
that land was below and not above the surface. It was
the country of coal and iron, and the furnace fires
spoken of in the squirrels’ song were roaring in every
direction. Strange and weird and wiid it looked to the
sisters as they gazed upon it that night, and much
they marvelled at the contrast between this country
and that which they had left behind.

Glancing round at their companion to make some
observation upon the view before them, to their utter
astonishment they perceived that he had disappeared.
In his place, however, was a black and tan terrier, who
ran sniffing about from rock to rock and presently ran
up and fawned upon them in the most affectionate
manner. They could scarcely believe that this ani-