282 WHISPERS FROM FAIRYLAND. [vr.

 

stayed at home. However, having once undertaken
the expedition he determined to persevere, and so
kept on walking from day to day until he reached a
part of the world to which he was an entire stranger,
and about sunset upon a fine December afternoon
entered a large straggling village which seemed to
promise rest and shelter for the night.

As he felt rather in want of both, our hero strode
cheerfully along that which appeared to be the village
street, looking right and left for some inn at, which his
wants might be supplied. For some time, however, he
could see nothing of the kind, nor did he encounter a
human being of any sort, size, or description from
whom he might obtain information as tothe nearest and
best place of entertainment. This struck him as rather
strange, but at first he set it down as being probably
the fashion of the country for people not to stay out
after a certain hour, and as it was already drawing
towards evening, so far from blaming those who had
sought the shelter of their roofs, he felt all the more
inclined to follow their example. Having, however,
unfortunately no roof at hand to shelter him, he was
rather disconcerted at the apparent absence of popula-
tion, and still more so when, having knocked at the
doors of several of the houses, he received no answer
whatever. This, however, might proceed either from
the absence of the inhabitants, who, as he judged from
the vast forests near at hand, were probably wood-
cutters, who camped out at night when working at a
distance from home, or from their being assembled
together at some place of entertainment in the neigh-
bourhood.