grazedtherehaditbeenourpleasure，butthatitwasnotworthourwhile，andscarcelyworthJasperKebby’seven；allthelandbeingcroppedasonemightsaywithdesolation。Andnearlyallourknowledgeofitsprangfromtheunaccountabletricksofcowswhohaveyoungcalveswiththem；atwhichtimetheyhavewilddesiretogetawayfromthesightofman，andkeepcalfandmilkforoneanother，althoughitbeinabarrenland。Atleast，ourcowshavegottenthistrick，andIhaveheardotherpeoplecomplainofit。
JohnFry，asIsaid，knewtheplacewellenough，buthelikeditnonethemoreforthat，neitherdidanyofourpeople；and，indeed，alltheneighbourhoodofThomshillandLarksborough，andmostofallBlackBarrowDownlayundergraveimputationofhavingbeenenchantedwithaveryevilspell。Moreover，itwasknown，thoughfolkwereloathtospeakofit，evenonasummermorning，thatSquireThom，whohadbeenmurderedthere，acenturyagoormore，hadbeenseenbyseveralshepherds，eveninthemiddleday，walkingwithhisseveredheadcarriedinhislefthand，andhisrightarmliftedtowardsthesun。
ThereforeitwasveryboldinJohnasIacknowledged
toventureacrossthatmooralone，evenwithafastponyunderhim，andsomewhiskybyhisside。AndhewouldneverhavedonesoofthatIamquitecertain，eitherforthesakeofAnnie’ssweetface，orofthegoldenguinea，whichthethreemaidenshadsubscribedtorewardhisskillandvalour。Butthetruthwasthathecouldnotresisthisowngreatcuriosity。For，carefullyspyingacrossthemoor，frombehindthetuftofwhortles，atfirsthecoulddiscovernothinghavinglifeandmotion，exceptthreeorfourwildcattlerovinginvainsearchfornourishment，andadiseasedsheepbanishedhither，andsomecarrioncrowskeepingwatchonher。ButwhenJohnwastakinghisverylastlook，beingonlytoogladtogohomeagain，andacknowledgehimselfbaffled，hethoughthesawafiguremovinginthefarthestdistanceuponBlackBarrowDown，scarcelyathingtobesureofyet，onaccountofthewantofcolour。Butashewatched，thefigurepassedbetweenhimandanakedcliff，andappearedtobeamanonhorseback，makinghiswayverycarefully，infearofbogsandserpents。Forallaboutthereitisadders’
ground，andlargeblackserpentsdwellinthemarshes，andcanswimaswellascrawl。