noon
Pierrebon made no answer to this , but mounted his hackney . And , touching my nag with the spur , we cantered along a lean glade , trusting that the track which ran along it would hap to be the right one . Now and again as we sped onwards a startled deer would break cover and rush through brake and bramble , and once an evil-tempered old boar , feeding under an older oak , glared savagely at us as we passed , grinding his tusks in senseless rage till the foam flecked his brindled sides . We were in the deeps of the forest now , and , high noon as it was , it was grey as twilight . Here , as we eased up for a moment , a dog-wolf crossed our path , and with snarling lip and shining fangs slunk into the thorn . Oh , for a leash of hounds now ! But on we went , catching a glimpse of a grim head peering after us through the thorn -- a head with blazing , angry eyes , that almost seemed to speak .