II
1.Her way at first lay through a forest of tall pines，where walking was easy.In the bright moonlight she could easily see the white marks that had been cut on the trees.
It was in the deep woods，not ten miles from her home，that Ulrica‘s courage first failed her.The softplumageof an owl in its noiseless flight brushedagainst her face.She started，and uttered a loud cry.The cry echoed and re-echoed through the forest，till the girl was filled with terror，and sank to her knees on the ground.
And then came another horror.In her sudden fright she had lost sight of the markings on the trees！
2.It did not occur to her that with the daylight she could easily find these marks again.She forgot everything but that she was alone in the great woods，and lost.Closing her eyes in terror，she leaned back against a great tree.Her face touched something rough on the smooth bark.She put up her hand to feel what itwas，and found that it was one of the marks that Carl Stanford had cut.In her fright she had never thought of seeking it on the tree under which she rested.Her courage returned，and watching the white chippings well，she set out on her way again.
3.It was late in the afternoon when she reached the quiet village of Grand Pré，which but a few days before had been the home of hundreds of happy peasants.The cattle had run away to a great open meadow some miles distant，and the herd was so large that Ulrica darednot ventureamong them.Close at hand，however，there was one fine cow feeding quietly on a patch ofVenture，run the risk of going.
cabbages.Ulrica went up to it，and patted it kindly.Then having shut the gate of the enclosure so that the animal could not escape，she looked about for a place of rest.She went into a cellar，and having eaten some of her barley bread，she soon fell asleep.
4.The last object she saw before going to sleep was a very red brick in the wall in front of her，and she could not help wondering why it seemed so different from the others.
The sun wa s up when she awoke half dazed，hardly knowing whether she was awake or dreaming.There was the red brick still before her.She walked up to it，and to her astonishment she found that it was loose.Taking it out，she found behind it one--two-three-twenty gold pieces.She wrapped them in her handkerchief，and went out to look for her cow.
Fastening her rope to its horns，the resoluteled it along the road towards her home.
5.Two hours before this，a party of the Germans had started from the settlement.All through the day they travelled，and about midnight，as they stopped to rest，they heard the tinkling of a bell.“That is a French cow-bell，”said Carl Stanford.“But the French pasturesare many miles away，man，”said half a dozen voices.
“It is a French bell，”said Carl，“and I am going to find out what it is doing here；”and with that he started，followed by the others，in the direction of the sound.Soon the tinkling came nearer and nearer，till theysaw in the moonlit forest the great sleekcow led byUlrica.For a moment no one spoke.Then a cheer，loud and long，burst from every man.
6.The morning after Ulrica reached the settle meat，she handed the captain of a ship two of the gold pieces to pay for Conrad’s passage.
The month of May brought Conrad，much improved in health by the voyage.In the little church of St.John he and Ulrica were married.Her small cabin was soon changed for the best house in the town，planned and built by Conrad himself.
7.To this day farmers in that neighbourhood tracethe pedigreeof their best cows to Ulrica‘s Frenchprize.The cow-bells there are still made after the pattern of the one that tinkled so mysteriously in the forest a hundred years ago.And some of the richest families in the province are not ashamed to trace theirancestryback to that peasant girl.