And what was it--a boundary hill, a natural
formation, or, as its name implied, a funeral barrow? He had half a
mind to dig one day and find out, that is if he could get anybody to
dig with him, for the people about Honham were so firmly convinced
that Dead Man's Mount was haunted, a reputation which it had owned
from time immemorial, that nothing would have persuaded them to touch
it.
He contemplated the great mound carefully without coming to any
conclusion, and then looked at his watch. It was a quarter to ten,
time for him to start for the Castle for his day's shooting. So he got
his gun and cartridges, and in due course arrived at the Castle, to
find George and several myrmidons, in the shape of beaters and boys,
already standing in the yard.
"Please, Colonel, the Squire hopes you'll go in and have a glass of
summut before you start," said George; so accordingly he went, not to
"have a glass of summut," but on the chance of seeing Ida. In the
vestibule he found the old gentleman busily engaged in writing an
enormous letter.
"Hullo, Colonel," he halloaed, without getting up, "glad to see you.
Excuse me for a few moments, will you, I want to get this off my mind.
Ida! Ida! Ida!" he shouted, "here's Colonel Quaritch."
"Good gracious, father," said that young lady, arriving in a hurry,
"you are bringing the house down," and then she turned round and
greeted Harold.
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