Excerpt from LafayetteAs the bridle fell loosely upon the pony's neck the animal began to crop the grass that grew sparsely in the midst of the purple heather and golden bloom of the moor, while his young master surveyed the interlaced branches of the forest or gazed searchingly into the dark recesses of the wood as though seek ing for some sign of bird or beast.It was a midsummer's day, very sultry even in the shade of the forest. There was a dull haze in the atmosphere through which the July sun beat with fierce heat. The air was close and heavy with that oppression which presages a storm. There was no stir of living thing in the underbrush. It was as though the denizens of the woods had sensed the approach of a tempest, and had retired to their coverts. Not a leaf rustled. It was quiet, extremely so, but the lad seemed to find nothing unusual in such stillness. Presently the silence was broken by an echoing shout.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.