The sunshine poured down, and birds were singing joyously.

But they soon passed it, and checked their speed on entering the trees again.
Tall beeches, with round smooth trunks, stood thick and close upon the dry and rising ground; their boughs met overhead, forming a green continuous arch for miles.

The space between was filled with brake fern, now fast growing up, and the track itself was green with moss.

As they came into this beautiful place a red stag, startled from his browsing, bounded down the track, his swift leaps carried him away like the wind; in another moment he left the path and sprang among the fern, and was seen only in glimpses as he passed between the beeches.

Squirrels ran up the trunks as they approached; they could see many on the ground in among the trees, and passed under others on the branches high above them.