III. The Custom of the Country

           Hadalooker-onbeenpostedintheimmediatevicinityofthebarrow,hewouldhavelearnedthatthesepersonswereboysandmenoftheneighbouringhamlets.Each,asheascendedthebarrow,hadbeenheavilyladenwithfurzefaggots,carriedupontheshoulderbymeansofalongstakesharpenedateachendforimpalingthemeasily—twoinfrontandtwobehind.Theycamefromapartoftheheathaquarterofamiletotherear,wherefurzealmostexclusivelyprevailedasaproduct.

           Everyindividualwassoinvolvedinfurzebyhismethodofcarryingthefaggotsthatheappearedlikeabushonlegstillhehadthrownthemdown.Thepartyhadmarchedintrail,likeatravellingflockofsheep;thatistosay,thestrongestfirst,theweakandyoungbehind.

           Theloadswerealllaidtogether,andapyramidoffurzethirtyfeetincircumferencenowoccupiedthecrownofthetumulus,whichwasknownasRainbarrowformanymilesround.Somemadethemselvesbusywithmatches,andinselectingthedriesttuftsoffurze,othersinlooseningthebramblebondswhichheldthefaggotstogether.Others,again,whilethiswasinprogress,liftedtheireyesandsweptthevastexpanseofcountrycommandedbytheirposition,nowlyingnearlyobliteratedbyshade.Inthevalleysoftheheathnothingsaveitsownwildfacewasvisibleatanytimeofday;butthisspotcommandedahorizonenclosingatractoffarextent,andinmanycaseslyingbeyondtheheathcountry.Noneofitsfeaturescouldbeseennow,butthewholemadeitselffeltasavaguestretchofremoteness.