Poor Martin, trembling with fright, crouched lower down in his mossy bed, thinking that the awful people of the forest must have seen him, and would be upon him in a few moments.  But though he stared with wide-open eyes into the gloom he could see nothing but the trees, standing silent and motionless, and no sound of approaching footsteps could he hear.

After that it was silent again for a while, and he began to hope that they had given up looking for him; when suddenly, close by, sounded a loud startling “Who’s that?” and he gave himself up for lost.  For he was too terrified to jump up and run away, as he had thought to do:  he could only lie still, his teeth chattering, his hair standing up on his head.  “Who’s that?” exclaimed the terrible voice once more, and then he saw a big black shape drop down from the tree above and settle on a dead branch a few feet above his hiding-place.  It was a bird—­a great owl, for now he could see it, sharply outlined against the clear starry sky; and the bird had seen and was peering curiously at him.  And now all his fear was gone, for he could not be afraid of an owl; he had been accustomed to see owls all his life, only they were small, and this owl of the forest was as big as an eagle, and had a round head and ears like a cat, and great cat-like eyes that shone in the dark.

The owl kept staring at Martin for some time, swaying his body this way and that, and lowering then raising his head so as to get a better view.  And Martin, on his side, stared back at the owl, and at last he exclaimed, “O what a great big owl you are!  Please say Who’s that? again.”

But before the owl said anything Martin was fast asleep in his mossy bed.

CHAPTER IX

THE BLACK PEOPLE OF THE SKY

Whether or not the great owl went on shouting O look! look! look! and asking What’s that? and Who’s that? all night, Martin did not know.  He was fast asleep until the morning sun shone on his face and woke him, and as he had no clothes and shoes to put on he was soon up and out.  First he took a drink of water, then, feeling very hungry he went back to the place where he had found the ripe fruit and made a very good breakfast.  After that he set out once more through the wood towards sunrise, still following the stream.  Before long the wood became still more open, and at last to his great joy he found that he had got clear of it, and was once more on the great open plain.  And now the hills were once more in sight—­those great blue hills where he wished to be, looking nearer and larger than before, but they still looked blue like great banks of cloud and were a long distance away.  But he was determined to get to them, to climb up their steep sides, and by and by when he found the stream bent away to the south, he left it so as to go on straight as he could to the hills.  Away from the water-side the ground was higher, and very