Chapter 23

           Wecameatlasttothefootofanexceedingsteepwood,whichscrambledupacraggyhillside,andwascrownedbyanakedprecipice.

           “It’shere,”saidoneoftheguides,andwestruckuphill.

           Thetreesclungupontheslope,likesailorsontheshroudsofaship,andtheirtrunkswereliketheroundsofaladder,bywhichwemounted.

           Quiteatthetop,andjustbeforetherockyfaceofthecliffsprangabovethefoliage,wefoundthatstrangehousewhichwasknowninthecountryas“Cluny’sCage.”Thetrunksofseveraltreeshadbeenwattledacross,theintervalsstrengthenedwithstakes,andthegroundbehindthisbarricadelevelledupwithearthtomakethefloor.Atree,whichgrewoutfromthehillside,wasthelivingcentre-beamoftheroof.Thewallswereofwattleandcoveredwithmoss.Thewholehousehadsomethingofaneggshape;andithalfhung,halfstoodinthatsteep,hillsidethicket,likeawasp’snestinagreenhawthorn.

           Within,itwaslargeenoughtoshelterfiveorsixpersonswithsomecomfort.Aprojectionofthecliffhadbeencunninglyemployedtobethefireplace;andthesmokerisingagainstthefaceoftherock,andbeingnotdissimilarincolour,readilyescapednoticefrombelow.

           ThiswasbutoneofCluny’shiding-places;hehadcaves,besides,andundergroundchambersinseveralpartsofhiscountry;andfollowingthereportsofhisscouts,hemovedfromonetoanotherasthesoldiersdrewnearormovedaway.