78 THE FAIRY-FOLK OF THE BLUE HILL.

arrested by a clump of bushes, and she was
thrown into their leafy arms. The sudden
shock, together with the fatigue and anxiety
she had undergone, was too much for the
poor little maid, and all consciousness forsook
her.

No sooner did Mona’s eyes close than at
once every flower and shrub and tree seemed
alive with the tiny faces of elves. Small faces
popped out of the flowers, and slender forms
came sliding down from the tall flower stalks
and flowering bushes. Some seized the deli-
cate stems of the blue hare-bell and wild lily
of the valley, and rang the little bells violently.
Others blew long blasts on the wild honey-
suckle and columbine, while above the din
shrill voices clamored excitedly.

From every direction came tiny elves crowd-
ing and pushing and stumbling over one an-
other in their eagerness to learn the cause of
this sudden summons.

Suddenly the murmur of voices ceased as
they discovered the form of the hunter’s little
maid lying on the ground, with closed eyes
and all the color gone out of her face. Fora
few minutes all were silent, then Lippo, the