He headed for Far Wood , and there they frightened out all the pheasants , who were sheltering from a big beat across the valley . Then the cruel guns began again , and they grabbed the beagles lest they should stray and get hurt . ' I would n't be a pheasant -- in November -- for a lot , ' Dan panted , as he caught Folly by the neck . ` Why did you laugh that horrid way ? ' ' I did n't , ' said Una , sitting on Flora , the fat lady-dog . ` Oh , look ! The silly birds are going back to their own woods instead of ours , where they would be safe . ' ` Safe till it pleased you to kill them . ' An old man , so tall he was almost a giant , stepped from behind the clump of hollies by Volaterrae . The children jumped , and the dogs dropped like setters . He wore a sweeping gown of dark thick stuff , lined and edged with yellowish fur , and he bowed a bent-down bow that made them feel both proud and ashamed . Then he looked at them steadily , and they stared back without doubt or fear . ` You are not afraid ? ' he said , running his hands through his splendid grey beard . ` Not afraid that those men yonder ' -- he jerked his head towards the incessant pop-pop of the guns from the lower woods -- ` will do you hurt ? ' ` We-ell ' -- Dan liked to be accurate , especially when he was shy -- ` old Hobd -- a friend of mine told me that one of the beaters got peppered last week -- hit in the leg , I mean . You see , Mr Meyer will fire at rabbits . But he gave Waxy Garnett a quid -- sovereign , I mean -- and Waxy told Hobden he 'd have stood both barrels for half the money . ' ` He does n't understand , ' Una cried , watching the pale , troubled face . ` Oh , I wish -- ' She had scarcely said it when Puck rustled out of the hollies and spoke to the man quickly in foreign words .
XXXXX wore a long cloak too -- the afternoon was just frosting down -- and it changed his appearance altogether .
Garnett Hobd Hobden Puck Una We-ell beagles beaters fire pop-pop