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diff --git a/24918.txt b/24918.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..48a4144 --- /dev/null +++ b/24918.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8622 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Hollowdell Grange + Holiday Hours in a Country Home + +Author: George Manville Fenn + +Release Date: March 26, 2008 [EBook #24918] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLLOWDELL GRANGE *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn. + +________________________________________________________________________ +This is one of Fenn's earliest books. The theme is that a boy from +London goes down to stay in the country with his cousins, where the way +of life is so very different, and challenging, from all that he had +known in the great city. The descriptions of country life of those days +are very well done, but we must make one warning--that many of the +countrymen we meet in the story speak with a strong Lincolnshire accent, +and the author has done his best to represent these sounds with what +must very often look like mistakes in transcription. + +There are all sorts of country situations to be encountered, from +working with animals, to meeting the various village characters, to a +near drowning, and even, at the very end to an attempted rescue, one +that failed, of a drowning boy caught in a sluice on the beach. + +There may well be a few mistakes, because the copy used was very old, +and the pages very browned, while at the same time not very well +printed. But we have done our best and at least what we offer here is +better than what you would have got from the book itself in its aged +condition. As so often with this kind of book it makes a very good +audio-book, and listening to it is a great pleasure. + +________________________________________________________________________ +HOLLOWDELL GRANGE, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +A FISH OUT OF WATER. + +It was such a fine hot Midsummer day at Hollowdell station, that the +porter had grown tired of teasing the truck-driver's dog, and fallen +fast asleep--an example which the dog had tried to follow, but could +not, because there was only one shady spot within the station-gates, and +that had been taken possession of by the porter; so the poor dog had +tried first one place, and then another, but they were all so hot and +stifling, and the flies kept buzzing about him so teasingly, that he +grew quite cross, and barked and snapped so at the tiresome insects, +that at last he woke Jem Barnes, the porter, who got up, stretched +himself, yawned very rudely and loudly, and then, looking in at the +station-clock, he saw that the 2:30 train from London was nearly due, so +he made up his mind not to go to sleep again until it had passed. + +It _was_ a hot day--so hot that the great black tarpaulins over the +goods-waggons were quite soft, and came off all black upon Jem Barnes's +hands. The air down the road seemed to quiver and dance over the white +chalky dust; while all the leaves upon the trees, and the grass in the +meadows, drooped beneath the heat of the sun. As to the river, it shone +like a band of silver as it wound in and out, and here and there; and +when you looked you could see the reflection of the great dragon-flies +as they flitted and raced about over the glassy surface. The reeds on +the bank were quite motionless; while, out in the middle, the fat old +chub could be seen basking in the sunshine, wagging their great broad +fantails in the sluggish stream, too lazy even to snap up the flies that +passed over their heads. All along the shallows the roach and dace lay +in shoals, flashing about, every now and then, in the transparent water +like gleams of silver light. Down in the meadows, where the ponds were, +and the shady trees grew, the cows were so hot that they stood up to +their knees in the muddy water, chewing their grass with half-shut eyes, +and whisking their long tails about to keep the flies at a distance. +But it was of no use to whisk, for every now and then a nasty, spiteful, +hungry fly would get on some poor cow's back, creep beneath the hair, +and force its horny trunk into the skin so sharply, that the poor animal +would burst out into a doleful lowing, and, sticking its tail up, go +galloping and plunging through the meadow in such a clumsy way as only a +cow can display. A few fields off the grass was being cut, and the +sharp scythes of the mowers went tearing through the tall, rich, green +crop, and laid it low in long rows as the men, with their regular +strokes, went down the long meadows. Every now and then, too, they +would make the wood-side re-echo with the musical ringing sound of the +scythes, as the gritty rubbers glided over the keen edges of the bright +tools. + +Hot, hot, hot!--how the sun glowed in the bright blue sky! and how the +down train puffed and panted, while the heat of the weather made even +the steam from the funnel transparent as it streamed backwards over the +engine's green back! The driver and stoker were melting, for they had +the great roaring fire of the engine just in front of them, and the sun +scorching their backs; the guard was hot with stopping at so many +stations, and putting out so much luggage; while the passengers, in the +carriages said they were almost stifled, and looked out with longing +eyes at the shady green woods they passed. One passenger in particular, +a sharp-featured and rather sallow youth about twelve years old, kept +looking at the time-table, and wondering how long it would be before he +arrived at Hollowdell, for that was the name printed upon the ticket +Fred Morris held in his hand. + +But just at this time there were other people travelling towards +Hollowdell station, and that too by the long dusty chalky road that came +through the woods and over the wooden bridge right up to the railway +crossing; and these people were no others than Fred Morris's country +cousins, and the old man-servant--half groom, half gardener--who was +driving the pony chaise with Harry Inglis by his side, while Fred's +other cousin Philip was cantering along upon his donkey close behind-- +such a donkey! with thin legs, and a thin tail that he kept closely +tucked in between the hind pair, as if he was afraid the crupper would +pull it off. He wanted no beating, although he could be obstinate +enough when he liked, and refuse to pass the green paddock where he +grazed; but he wanted no beating, while with his young master on his +back: he would trot off with his little hoofs going pitter-patter, +twinkle-twinkle over the road, at a rate that it used to puzzle old +Dumpling, the fat pony, to keep up with. + +Harry and Philip Inglis were rather different-looking boys to their +cousin, for, stouter in build, they bore upon their good-tempered faces +the brown marks made by many a summer's sun. And now, upon this +occasion, they were all impatience to get to the station to meet Cousin +Fred, who was coming down to spend the Midsummer holidays. The visit +had been long talked about, and now the boys were in a state of the +greatest excitement lest any disappointment might take place. + +"Oh! do drive faster, Sam," said Harry, making a snatch at the reins; "I +know he'll be there first. Tiresome old thing, you! Why didn't you +start an hour sooner?" + +"What for?" said Sam, grumbling, and holding tightly to the reins; "what +was I to come an hour sooner for? Think I don't know how long it takes +to drive over to station?" + +"But," said Philip, from his donkey, "I'm sure we shall be late. +There!" he continued, "I can hear the train now!" + +"Nonsense!" said Sam. "Where's the steam? Why, you can see the steam +for two miles before the train gets in, and Dumps here could get in long +before the train." + +But Philip was right, for just then the loud and shrill whistle of the +engine was heard as it started again, after setting down one solitary +little passenger in the shape of Fred Morris, who looked sadly +disappointed to find no one there to receive him but Jem Barnes, the +porter, who stared very hard at the young stranger from Lunnun. + +Dumpling galloped, and Neddy went off at a double trot, upon hearing the +railway-whistle, spinning along at such a rate that before Fred Morris +had learned which path he was to take across the fields to go the +shortest way to Squire Inglis's, of the Grange, Hollowdell--and all of +which information he was getting very slowly out of Jem Barnes--Harry +had jumped out of the chaise. Philip leaped off his donkey, and they +were one on each side of Fred, heartily shaking hands with him. + +"I say, ain't you our cousin?" said Harry, breathlessly. + +"Our cousin from London, you know," said Philip, "that was to come by +this train?" + +"My name is Morris," said the traveller, rather pompously, "and I'm +going on a visit to Mr Inglis's at Hollowdell." + +"Yes, to be sure!" said Harry. "You're Cousin Fred, and I'm Harry, and +that's Phil. Come along into the chaise. Here Sam--Jem! bring the box +and let's be off. But I say, Fred, isn't it hot?" + +Fred replied that it was, seeming hardly to know what to make of the +rough, hearty manners of his cousins, and he looked, if anything, rather +disappointed when he was met by the rough grin of Sam, who was of +anything but a smooth exterior, and altogether a very different man to +his father's well-brushed livery-servant, who had seen him safely off to +the station in the morning. + +"I've come," said Fred at last, when they were fairly started with +Philip and Fred in the chaise, and Harry this time upon the donkey +bringing up the rear--"I've come because Papa said you would not like it +if I did not; but I'd much rather you had both come up to me in London. +One can find something to do there, and there's something to see. I +can't think how you people manage to live down here." + +"Oh! we find something to do, don't we, Harry?" said Philip, laughing. +But Harry was very busy with Neddy, who had taken it into his head to go +down a lane which led to the pound--a place where he had been more than +once locked up; and it was as much as ever the lad could do to stop him; +so Philip's question remained unanswered. "I say," continued Philip at +last, after they had been conversing some time, during which Master Fred +had been cross-questioning Philip as to his educational knowledge, and +giving that young gentleman to understand what a high position he +occupied at Saint Paul's School--"I say," said Philip, "can you swim?" + +"No," replied Fred. + +"Can you play cricket?" + +"No," said Fred. + +"Fish, row, shoot, rat, and all that sort of thing?" said Philip. + +"No!" said the other. "I have always lived in London, where we do not +practise that class of amusement." + +"Oh! come, then," said Philip, "we shall be able to teach you something. +Only wait a bit, and you'll see how we live down here. But here we +are; and there's Papa waiting for us under the porch." + +As Philip said this, Sam had crawled down from his seat, opened a swing +gate, and led the pony into a garden through which wound a carriage +drive up to a long low house, all along the front of which extended a +verandah, the supports and sloping roof being completely covered with +roses, clematis, and jasmine, which hung in the wildest profusion +amongst the light trellis-work, and then ran up the sides of the bedroom +windows, peeping in at the lattice panes, and seeming to be in +competition with the ivy as to which should do most towards covering up +the brickwork of the pretty place; for it really was a pretty place,--so +pretty, that even Fred, who thought that there was nothing anywhere to +compare with London, could not help casting admiring looks around him. +All along one side of the gravel drive there was a tall, +smoothly-clipped hedge of laurels; while on the left the velvet lawn, +dotted all over with beds of scarlet geranium, verbena, and calceolaria, +with here and there rustic vases brimming over with blooming creepers, +swept down in a slope towards the park-like fields, from which it was +separated by a light ring fence. Right in front was another mighty +laurel hedge, that looked to be almost centuries old; and on the other +side was what was called the kitchen garden, though, I think, it might +have been called the parlour garden just as rightly, from the rich +banquets it used to supply of all kinds of luscious fruits--peaches, +nectarines, plums, strawberries, apples, pears, currants; and as to +gooseberries, the trees used to be so loaded with great rough golden and +crimson fellows, that they would lay their branches down on the ground +to rest them, because the weight was greater than they could bear. But +the greatest beauty of the house at Hollowdell, or, as it was called in +the neighbourhood, "The Grange," was the ivy, which did not creep there, +but ran, and ran all over the place--sides, roof, and all--even twining, +and twisting, and growing right up amongst the two great old-fashioned +chimney-stacks, round the pots, and some shoots even drooping in them, +and getting black and dry amongst the smoke that came curling and +wreathing out. For Squire Inglis would not have the ivy cut anywhere +excepting in the front, where he used to superintend while Sam cleared +it away now and then, so as to give the roses and creeping plants a +chance to show their beauties in the bright summer-time. And there the +Grange stood, with flowers blooming around it in every direction, as +sweet and pretty a place as could welcome any one just come from the +great desert of bricks and mortar called London, in which people who are +not compelled are so foolish as to go and spend their time in the +sunniest and brightest days of the year. + +And, as Philip said, there stood Papa beneath the porch; and directly +after there stood Mamma too, to welcome their sister's child, whom they +had not seen since he was almost a baby. + +"Now, boys," said the Squire, after all the handshaking had been +finished, "I've nothing to do with this. Fred is your visitor for a +month, so I leave you to make him happy and comfortable, and mind you +see that he enjoys himself." + +Philip and Harry promised readily enough that they would. "But, Papa," +said Harry, "Dr Edwards said, when we broke up, that we were to do a +little work every day during the holidays, and--and--" + +"And what?" said his father. "Eh, now," said he, good-humouredly; "I +think I can make a good guess at what you would like. You'd like me to +write to the Doctor to let you off, wouldn't you?" + +"Oh! yes, yes, yes, Papa," shouted the boys, clapping their hands. +"Hurrah, that's capital!" + +"Well, but would it be right?" said their father, seriously. + +"Oh! yes, Papa," said Harry; "for we will do so much after the holidays, +and work ever so hard to make up for it; and it is so very, very hard to +learn lessons away from school. I never can get on half so well, for +one can't help thinking of the games we want to play at, and then one +don't feel to be obliged to learn, and it does make such a difference: +so do please write, there's a good, good father," said Harry, coaxingly. + +The Squire laughed, and that laugh was quite sufficient to satisfy the +lads, who gave two or three frisks, and tossed their caps in the air; +when Philip's fell on the top of the verandah, and had to be hooked down +with a long hay-rake. + +Dinner was nearly ready, so Fred followed his box up to the pretty +little bedroom he was to occupy--one which opened out of the room set +apart for Harry and Philip; and soon after he was down in the +dining-room eating a meal that called forth the remarks and comparisons +of his cousins, who were dreadful trencher-men. They told him that he +must learn what a country appetite meant, and so, by way of teaching +him, they dragged him off, as soon as dinner was over, to look at all +the wonders of the place. First over the flower-garden, and round by +the aviary, where Mamma's gold and silver pheasants were kept; and then +into the green-house, where Poll, the parrot, hung in her great gilt +cage, swinging about amongst the flowers, dancing up and down, and +shrieking out whenever anybody came by; then swaying backwards and +forwards in the ring in the cage, and climbing up and down all over the +bars, this way and that way, head up and head down, and all the time +looking as wicked and cunning as a hook-beaked old grey parrot can look. + +"Sam, Sam, where's the master?" shouted Poll, in a reedy-weedy tone, +like a cracked clarionet, as soon as the lads came in sight. "Stealing +the grapes. Stealing the grapes," she shouted again. "Rogues, rogues, +rogues! Two in the morning, hi! hi!" And then she gave a shrill +whistle, and burst out into a loud hearty laugh, that made Fred stare, +it was so natural. + +"There," said Philip, proudly, "you haven't got such birds as that in +London." + +"Oh yes, we have," said Fred, "but Papa don't care about buying them. +Poor Polly," he continued, putting his finger in to stroke the parrot. + +"Don't do that," shouted the boys together; but it was too late, for +almost at the same moment Fred gave utterance to a most doleful +"Oh-h-h!" Poll had made a snap at his finger, and hooked a piece of +flesh out sufficient to make it bleed pretty freely. + +"What a beast!" said Fred, angrily, and binding his handkerchief round +the place; "I'd kill it if I had my way." + +"But it was your fault," said Harry, quietly, "for trying to touch it; +wasn't it?" + +"Ah! but he didn't know it would bite," said Philip, "or he would not +have done so: but never mind, come along, and let's go down the garden." + +The abundance of the fruit made Fred forget his pain; and, having seen +the boys' gardens, the next thing was to have a look at the little pond +with the rock-work fountain, which they had made, and which played by +means of a barrel of water hid in the shrubbery behind, the stream being +conveyed through a piece of small piping. Here it was that Harry and +Philip kept all the finny treasures they captured, and the little pond +was rich in carp, roach, dace, and perch; while, amongst other +valuables, Fred was informed of the existence of an eel a foot long, +which had been put in two months before, and never seen since, but was +no doubt fattening in the mud at the bottom. + +Neddy had been seen, but round in the stable-yard there was Dick, the +terrier, who could catch rats, rabbits, or anything, so Harry said; and +then there was Tib, the one-eyed, one-winged raven, which hopped about +with his head on one side, and barked at the visitors, and then began to +dig his beak into Fred's leg, and could only be kept at a distance by +Philip poking at him with the handle of the stable broom, when he hopped +off, and sat upon the dog-kennel, every now and then giving a short +angry bark; but nothing like such a bark as Dick the terrier gave when +he found that, in spite of all his leaping, whining, and howling, he was +not to be let out that afternoon, but left straining at the end of his +chain, with his eyes starting out of his head, while the boys went to +see Harry's pigeons and Philip's rabbits. + +Just then Harry went to a box in the stable, and pulled out a long, +lithe, scratching and twisting thing, that looked more like a short +snake than a quadruped, and offered it to Philip to hold. + +"No; I won't hold it," said Philip; "I'm afraid of it. Perhaps Fred +will." + +"No, that I won't," said Fred, shrinking back; "I never saw such a +nasty-looking thing in my life. What do you keep it for?" + +"Keep it for? you cowards," said Harry, stuffing the animal into his +pocket; "you'll see to-morrow, when we are off rabbiting: why, it's the +best ferret for miles round." And Harry really believed it was, for the +old keeper that he bought it of had told him so, which was quite enough +for Harry; but although it was such a good ferret, it had a nasty habit +of stopping in a hole as long as it liked, which was sometimes very +tiresome when any one was waiting outside upon a cold cutting day. + +"Well, I wouldn't touch it for sixpence," said Fred; "but I ain't +afraid, only I don't want to be bitten again by any of your nasty +country bumpkin things, else I'd touch it fast enough." + +"I never do," said Philip; "I hate it, it twines about so. It's worse +than an eel ever so much." + +"Hark at Mrs Phil," said Harry, grinning. "I say, Fred, he is such a +coward; worse than you are a great deal." + +"I'm not a coward," said Fred, colouring up, and setting his teeth. + +"Oh yes, you are!" said Harry, teasing him; "why, all you London boys +are cowards. I wouldn't be a Londoner for ever so much." + +And then, as if prompted by a mischievous inclination, he pulled out the +ferret, and pitched it right upon Fred's shoulders as he stood with his +back half turned. Fred gave a cry of fear and anger, and darting at +Harry, struck him full in the face a blow that made him stagger +backwards. + +In a moment Harry recovered himself, and rushed at his assailant; and +while Philip, pale and breathless, looked on, the two boys pummelled +away at each other like the bitterest enemies. + +From the very offset the struggle was all in favour of Harry, for he was +of a stronger and sturdier build than his cousin; but it was not until +Harry's nose was bleeding, and Fred's lug cut, and they had been up and +down half-a-dozen times, that Fred gave in, evidently bitterly humbled +and mortified at his conquest, and suffering more from his defeat than +from the pain of the blows he had received. + +"Come here inside the stable, Fred," said Philip, half in a whisper, and +with the tears brimming in his eyes. "Come in here and wash your face +and hands; I'll pump some water." Saying which the boy fetched some +water in the stable pail, and, giving a reproachful look at his brother, +took it into the stable where Fred was sitting upon a truss of straw, +trying manfully to choke down a sob which sadly wanted to gain a vent. + +"I'm so sorry, Fred," he said, dipping his handkerchief into the pail, +and bathing his cousin's blood-besmeared countenance. "I can't think +how Harry could do so. Oh! what would Papa say if he came? Pray don't +tell him." + +"No, I shan't tell," said Fred, stoutly, with his face half in the pail, +and the words all the time half choked by that sob which would keep +rising from his overburdened heart. "But I'm not a coward, though, am +I? Is my face cut much?" + +Upon inspection it proved that with the exception of the damaged lip, +and an ugly cut on the back of his head where he had fallen upon the +paving stones in the yard, Fred was not much hurt; and when Philip had +well rubbed down his clothes, and polished him off with Sam's +spoke-brush, the marks of the conflict were hardly perceptible. + +Just then Harry came sneaking into the stable, looking dreadfully +ashamed of himself, with his face smeared all over with blood from his +bleeding nose, and carrying in his hand the body of the poor ferret: for +it would frighten no more poor rats or rabbits to death, having met with +its own by being trampled upon during the fray. + +"Will you shake hands?" said Harry, half sulkily, half sheepishly, to +Fred. + +Fred gave a sort of gulp, but he held out his hand, which was heartily +shaken; and directly after Harry was sitting on the truss of straw, and +being sponged and cleaned by his late adversary and his brother. + +"I say, you know," said Harry, "I am sorry, but you shouldn't have hit +me; no fellow could stand that. But then I was wrong first I say, +though, don't be hard on a fellow, for I do want to be jolly with you, +and make you comfortable; but I'm such a vicious beast, and always +getting into a row, ain't I, Phil?" + +Phil nodded assent, but added directly after, "He won't let any one crow +over me, though, at school, and he whacked Bill Sims, the biggest chap +in the first class last half, for hitting a little un." + +"But I say, though," said Harry, wiping his face with his pocket +handkerchief, "it's all right again, ain't it? We've made it up again, +haven't we?" + +"Yes, to be sure," said Fred, smiling. "But who killed the poor +ferret?" + +"Why, you did," said Harry; "you put your foot on his head; but it +serves me right, it was all my fault." + +"Never mind, now," said Philip; "let's go down the garden again till +tea-time; there's a linnet's nest in the hedge." + +"Ah! so there is," said Harry; "come on." + +And away they went, for the storm had blown over, and to have looked at +the lads no one could have imagined that the slightest disagreement had +occurred to mar the harmony of their afternoon. + +As they went down the garden Harry fetched a spade from the tool-shed; +and when the little patch that he owned was reached, the boy, with +something very like a tear in each eye, dug a hole, and laid his ferret +in it, and had just filled it in when they were summoned to tea; but +they did not go until the spade was put away, and they had shaken hands +all round in the tool-house, and vowed friendship for evermore. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +OLD SAM--CATCHING THE CARP. + +"Come, Fred, get up, it's such jolly weather. Make haste, and then we +can go down the garden before breakfast," said Harry, the next morning. + +"Aw-aw-yaw-aw-aw," said Fred, gaping dreadfully, and so sleepily that he +forgot to place his hand before his mouth. + +"Oh! come, I say, that won't do down in the country; here, it's seven +o'clock, and we're going to have such a stinging hot day. Do get up and +dress. There is Phil down the garden now." + +"Ah-aw-aw--yes, I'll get up," said Fred, yawning again. "But what early +folks you are; we don't get up so soon at home. What time do you have +breakfast?" + +"Eight o'clock, and Papa never waits for anybody; so make haste down, or +we shan't have time to do anything before it's breakfast bell." + +"I want some hot water," said Fred, grumpily. + +"What for?" said Harry. + +"Why, to wash in, of course," said Fred. + +"Ho! ho! ho!" burst out Harry, laughing, "hot water to wash with in +July! Why, we never use any all through the winter, when it's ever so +cold, and the jugs get frozen over. You try cold water, it's ever so +much better, and makes you have red cheeks like Phil's." + +"Hi, hallo-o-o!" shouted somebody front out of doors. + +"There's Phil," said Harry, going to the window and throwing it open, +when in came gushing the sweet morning air, laden with the dew sweetness +of a thousand flowers. The roses and jasmine nodded round the casement, +and from almost every tree within reach of hearing, right down to the +coppice, came ringing forth the merry morning songs of the birds. + +"Oh!" said Fred, in a burst of admiration as he went to the window, half +dressed; "oh! isn't it beautiful? I never thought the country half so +pretty. I wish I had got up sooner." + +"Do you?" said Harry. "Won't we have you up, then, to-morrow morning! +But only look; Phil has found an old `bottle washer.' Do make haste and +come down, and we'll put him in the ferret's cage." + +"Oh! do stop," said Fred, splashing his face about in the cold water, +and hurrying to get finished; "do stop for me, there's a good fellow." + +Five minutes after the three lads were together upon the lawn, rolling a +prickly, spiky hedgehog over and over in the vain hope of getting him to +open out and show his black, bright little eyes, and sharp piggy like +snout; all which time old Sam was busy at work, making his keen bright +scythe shave off the little yellow-eyed daisies that seemed sprinkled +all over the green turf that was so soft and elastic to the feet. + +"Chinkle chingle, chinkle chingle," rang out the scythe, as he held it +over his shoulder, and sharpened it with his gritty rubber, and then +again shave, shave, shave, over the velvet grass, till long rows of the +little strands lay across the lawn. + +A comical old fellow was Sam, and he used to say that no one loved the +young masters so well as he did; but somehow or another Sam never used +to see them out in the garden without finding something to grumble +about. His complaints were generally without foundation; but Sam used +to think he had cause to complain; and, being rather an old man, he used +to consider he had a right so to do. + +"Now then, Master Harry, you're at it again! What's the use of my +trying to keep the garden nice if you will keep racing about over it +like that? I wish you'd keep indoors, I do." + +"We ain't going to, though, are we, Phil?" said Harry, laughing. "Old +Sam would be sure to fetch us out again if we did; wouldn't you, Sam?" + +Old Sam grinned, and shook his head, and just then eight o'clock struck +by the village church, which was about a mile off, so Sam wiped his +scythe, and, shouldering it, walked off to his breakfast, just as a +cheery cry of--"Now, boys," came from out of the verandah, where Mr and +Mrs Inglis were standing, watching the lads upon the lawn. + +The pretty breakfast-room looked so bright and cheerful; there was such +an odorous bunch of dew-wet roses in a vase; such sweet scents, too, +came through the open window, and such country farm-house bounty spread +upon the breakfast-table, that Fred told his cousins after the meal that +he had never enjoyed anything before half so well in his life. + +"Now, boys, what are you going to do to-day?" said Mr Inglis. + +"Going fishing, Papa, in Trencher Pond," said Harry. + +"Why, there's nothing there worth catching," said Mr Inglis. + +"Oh _yes_, Papa!" said Phil. "It's full of sticklebacks, and such +beauties! Some are all gold and green and scarlet; the most beautiful +little creatures you ever saw, and it is so easy to catch them; and, +besides, it is so pretty there now." + +"Oh, very well!" said their father; "only I've got leave for you to fish +in Lord Copsedale's lake next week." + +"Hooray!" said Harry; "that's capital." + +After breakfast Fred was all in a state of ferment to be off to Trencher +Pond. All was new to him, for he did not even know what a stickleback +might be, and he longed to see some of these gorgeous fellows that were +all over "gold and green and scarlet." They were not long in getting +equipped for their trip, for Harry soon produced three willow wands, +some twine, worms, and a tin can to hold the spoil; and, thus provided, +away they started, with the full understanding that their dinner would +be ready at one o'clock precisely. + +They had only about a mile to walk down a green lane, and then to turn +off on the little common which contained the pond, but that mile took a +long time to get over, there was so much to do, to see, and to listen +to; there was the hole where the wasps had a nest to look at; there were +the nimble squirrels to watch as they darted across the road, and, +scampering up the trees, peeped down at the visitors to their domains. +Ah, how Fred longed to have one of the little bushy-tailed fellows, as +he watched their nimble tricks, scampering and leaping from bough to +bough as easily and fearlessly as a cat would upon the ground. Then +there were so many pretty wildflowers in the banks and hedge-rows; so +many birds to learn the names of, for they were all strangers to Fred, +who only knew sparrows--and they were different to the sparrows down +here at Hollowdell--and canaries and parrots. There was a +hedge-sparrow's nest, too, to peep at, with its tiny little blue eggs; +but not to touch, for, though Fred wanted to take it, Harry and Phil +said "No;" for Papa did not approve of the birds being disturbed. Then +there was a beautifully-formed mossy little cup-shaped nest in the fork +of a tree, just inside the coppice, smooth, round, and soft-edged, with +the horsehair and wool lining all plaited together, and made as even as +possible. It was so low down that, by bending the branch, the boys +could look at it, which they did, while the poor chaffinches, in the +horse-chestnut tree close by, cried "pink-pink-pink" in a state of the +greatest alarm lest their work should be destroyed; and the pretty cock +bird, with his crested head, pinky breast, and white-marked wings, burst +out into a loud and joyous song, short but sweet, as the three young +travellers journeyed on. And what a horse-chestnut tree that was all +one mass of pinky white blossoms, the tree itself one mighty green +pyramid of graceful leaves, and then, from top to bottom, hundreds and +hundreds of the blossom-spikes standing like little floral trees +themselves; while from every part of it came a continuous hum, as the +bees and other insects rifled the honeyed treasures and bore them away. + +"Oh!" at last burst out Fred, in perfect rapture; "oh! don't I wish +Mamma and Papa were here! I never did know how beautiful the country +was." + +"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed his cousins, each holding one of his hands; "come +along, that's nothing to what we are going to show you." + +And away they raced through the gate, and across the little common to +the pond in the corner, where the golden furze-bushes hung over the +side. + +Philip was right: it was a pretty pond. Such water--clear, bright, and +deep, with all kinds of water-plants growing therein; golden lilies, +silvery water buttercups, tall reeds, short thin rushes with their +little cottony tufts, taller ones with brown tassels; and stout +bulrushes, with their brown pokery seed-stems, growing tantalisingly out +of reach. Such silvery bright smooth water, with bright blue beetles +skimming about over the surface; and that skating spider that skims +about over water with his long legs as easily as if it were ice, without +giving a thought as to the possibility of sinking. Then down in the +clear depths where Fred was peering, every now and then boatman beetles +could be seen rowing about with their little pairs of oars, lying upon +their backs to make boats of themselves--curious little fellows that by +night come out of the water, and, opening a pair of cases, send out a +bright and beautiful pair of wings, and fly about through the air till +the morning. + +"Oh! look at the little crocodiles!" cried Fred, to the intense delight +of his cousins, as the showily-dressed newts went sailing easily through +the clear water, with waving crests and lithe tails--such gay little +fellows, with orange throats; while swimming about in chase of one +another by myriads were the sticklebacks, of which the lads had come in +quest. + +Darting about over the pond were hundreds of dragon-flies, thin-bodied +blue or green fellows, with bright transparent wings, that seemed +invisible at times, so rapid was their vibration; while every now and +then, rustling upon the wing as they dashed about in chase of one +another, came the larger dragon-flies, to make brighter the scene. + +And now began the fishing--fishing without hooks; for the voracious +little sticklebacks seized the worm as soon as it was dropped into the +pond, sometimes two together, one at each end, so that the tin can the +boys had brought soon had several dozens of the fish inside. The first +to draw out a painted "tiddler" was Fred, and a gorgeous little fellow +it was, with a throat of the most brilliant scarlet, shaded off into +orange; while gold and green of the most dazzling lustres shone in the +sun. + +"Mind his prickles!" cried Harry, by way of warning to Fred; but it was +too late, for poor Fred's fingers were already bleeding from the effects +of the spines with which the fish bristled. + +Fred was in a high state of delight, and, novice though he was in +fishing, he succeeded in pulling out nearly as many as his cousins. +Both he and Philip fished by means of tying a piece of twine round the +middle of a worm, and letting the ends dangle down; but Harry had +brought a float and line, and secured his worm by hooking one end of it. + +The sport grew fast and furious, and might have been continued for any +length of time, but for a sudden alarm that was raised respecting worms, +for Harry had just abstracted the last unfortunate wriggler from the tin +box. + +"Never mind," said Philip, "I'll soon find some more;" and he directly +set to work, pulling up tufts of grass and kicking down pieces of the +bank wherever it looked at all damp; but all in vain, not a worm could +he find; and he was just about giving up his task in despair, when a +shout from Harry took his attention. + +"Here, come here!" said Harry, "I've got such a thumper." + +Fred and Philip both ran up to him, and sure enough he seemed to have +got hold of a "thumper," as he called it, for his line was running about +backwards and forwards through the water, while the willow wand which +served him for a rod was bent half double. + +"Pull him to the side, and I'll get hold of the line," said Philip. + +"But he won't come," said Harry, trying to play his fish to the bank, +but without success, for just then it made a dart right out towards the +middle of the pond. Harry's wand bent more and more, and, just as the +greatest strain occurred, the line divided about two feet above the +float, the wand gave a smart rebound, and poor Harry, the picture of +disappointment, stood with a short piece of line waving about at the end +of his stick, gazing woefully after his lost fish. + +"Oh--oh--oh--h--h!" groaned Philip and Fred together, "what a pity!" + +Harry continued to look most rueful, but said nothing. + +"It must have been a jack," said Philip. "What a big one! Why didn't +you pull it out when I told you?" + +"How could I," said Harry, "when it was dragging so?" + +"I _am_ sorry," said Fred; "it _must_ have been a great stickleback to +pull the line in half." + +"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the cousins, "it wasn't a stickler. They never +grow any bigger than these." + +"Look! look!" said Fred, pointing to something that was bobbing up and +down in the pond, "there's Harry's floater." + +"So there is," said Harry; "perhaps it will come in close enough to get +hold of." + +But, instead of coming in any closer, the little coloured cork kept +working away towards a deep, dark-looking part, right under a large +beech-tree, whose arms hung over that portion of the pond. + +"Get up the tree, Hal," said Philip, "and creep along that bough. +You'll get it then." + +"No, don't," said Fred, "you'll fall in; I'm sure you will. Don't, pray +don't," he continued, as Harry ran towards the tree. + +"I shan't fall," said Harry; "don't you be a goose. I've climbed harder +trees than that, haven't I, Phil?" + +"I should think so," said Philip; "but don't go too far, Hal, so as to +get in, for it's ever so deep there!" + +"All right," said Harry; "give me a bump up." + +Philip laid hold of his brother's leg, and gave him a lift just as he +grasped the tree with both arms, and then, taking advantage of the +inequalities of the bark with his boots, Harry managed to climb slowly +and laboriously to where the tree forked, and the branch reached forth +from the parent stem over the deep pool, while Fred stood half aghast at +what seemed to him the most daring act he ever beheld. + +"Oh! take care," he exclaimed, looking quite pale, while the palms of +his hands grew moist and hot with excitement. + +"I'm all right," said Harry, creeping slowly out upon the branch; and +then, seating himself astride, he began to work himself out over the +water, while the bough quivered and bent at every movement. "Can you +see it, Phil?" said the adventurer. "Just under the bough, now, and +coming nearer. It's gone!" he exclaimed, in dismay, as the float sank +down out of sight. "But keep on, Harry; perhaps it will come up again." + +Harry kept on till he was about twenty feet away from the trunk of the +tree, and about three feet from the surface of the water, and then sat +watching where Philip threw a stone at the place where the float +disappeared. He could see some distance down into the black-looking +water, which report said was here ten feet deep; there were weeds and +dead branches sticking up here and there, but no float, and no fish. + +"It's of no use; do come back," said Fred, "or I know you will fall." + +"Whoof!" said Harry, giving himself a kind of jump, so that the bough +swung up and down, and his feet dipped the water, while his head nearly +rose to the branch above him. "Here's such a jolly ride; come and have +a turn, boys." + +"Pray don't," said Fred, "I know you'll fall." And then--but not in +obedience to Fred's request--Harry became motionless; for just beneath +his feet he saw, rising from the depth of the pond, the white top of his +float. Fred gave a half shriek at what he saw, for to him it seemed a +feat of unsurpassed daring, as Harry clasped the bough with his legs, +and swinging himself head downwards, he plunged his hands into the water +and grasped his truant line. + +There was a moment's struggle, for the fish was still at the end, but it +was beaten: and the effort of keeping the cork-float down so long, and +its previous struggles, made it an easy prey. Tightly twisting the line +round his finger, Harry swung himself up again, and began carefully to +make the retrograde journey after the manner of a sloth, with his back +downwards, and arms and legs clasping the bough. The small twigs and +branches made this no easy task, but, to the great delight and +admiration of Fred, he soon reached the tree, where he passed the line +to Philip, who was elevated in his turn by Fred, till he could reach +Harry's extended hand. + +"Now you won't pull him out till I come down," said Harry. + +"Oh, no," said Philip. + +"Honour bright," said Harry. + +"Honour bright," said Philip. + +Then, and only then, did the climber loose his hold of the line and +proceed to make his descent. He contrived to get into the fork of the +tree, and then let himself down until he hung by his hands, and tried to +clasp the trunk with his legs, but somehow or other the tree seemed to +keep gliding away from him, and the more he tried the more tired he +grew, till at last his hands slipped, and down he came upon the ground +in a sitting position. + +Happily, the distance was only small, and there was too much excitement +awaiting him for Harry to spare time for anything more than a terrible +grimace. + +"Now, then," he said, taking hold of the line and drawing it gently, +"look out, boys," and then, with his beautiful golden scales glittering +in the sun, and his strength completely gone, a carp of about a pound +and a half weight rose to the surface, and, turning on his side, was +drawn inshore. + +"Now hold the line, and I'll land him," said Harry to his brother, who +took his post while the speaker went down upon his knees to grasp the +fish. + +"Flip, flap, plish, plash," went the carp, when Harry's hand came in +contact with its shiny sides. + +"Oh!" groaned all the boys, "he's gone;" for the fish was free from the +line, the hook having, broken out of his mouth. + +But he was not quite gone, for he lay in a shallow on some weeds, feebly +opening and shutting his gills. The next flap of his tail, however, +would have taken him into deep water, but in went Harry into the mud up +to his knees, and with one scoop of his hand sent the golden treasure +flying out on to the grass, yards away from the pond edge. + +Didn't they cheer, and didn't Harry dance about, on the grass with his +black muddy legs dripping about, and the water going "suck, suck," in +his boots, and squeezing out at every step. How they gloated over the +poor panting prize; so much, that it was ever so long before they could +stop to rub Harry's legs down with bunches of grass; and it was no easy +matter for Fred and Philip to do, for the wet boy kept dancing, and +cheering, and skipping about like a mad thing, slapping his brother's +back; and at last, when they were half finished-- + +"Bring the tiddlers along, and let's keep carpy alive," he shouted; and +running to the edge of the pond, soaked his handkerchief therein, +wrapped up the carp, and away they all ran homewards, to put the fish in +their little pond. Philip, who was carrying the can of little fish-- +which had now become almost insignificant in the eyes of their captors-- +kept splashing his legs at every step, till they were nearly as wet as +his brother's; while Fred, who bore the rods, had to stop more than once +to disentangle the lines from the overhanging branches as they went down +the lane. + +At last they reached home, to find Mary carrying in the dinner, after +Mr Inglis had been waiting about an hour for the truants, and at last, +exhausted in patience, had ordered it in. + +"Look! look! Papa, Mamma," shouted Harry, rushing in through the French +window; "look, here's a fish!" + +"Soak, soak," went his boots as he went in. + +"Take him outside," said his father to the two other boys, who were just +coming breathlessly in, only Fred was entangled by the rods crossing the +window. "Take him outside, the young rascal is spoiling the carpet with +his wet boots." + +It was no use to think of dinner then, so Papa and Mamma both had to +come outside the window to see and admire the carp, and hear how it was +captured, before the mid-day meal could be gone on with. + +"Ah!" said the Squire at last, "there used to be plenty of fine carp in +Trencher Pond down the deep hole under the tree, but I did not know +there were any left, for the dry summers killed them when the railway +cutting was made and took off so much water. But come, boys, dinner." + +And then he drove them off, and made them enter the hall-door so as to +make themselves fit for the repast that awaited them. But he was not +quite successful, for Harry made a double, and ran off to pop his carp +in the pond, but was back directly, and shortly after in the +dining-room, feasting away with a country boy's appetite--an appetite, +too, that Fred already began to show symptoms of possessing, as the +fruit of his visit to Hollowdell. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +INDOOR AMUSEMENTS. + +Dinner had not been finished above an hour before the sky became +overcast; and, all at once, a rushing, sweeping wind came over the +country. Far-off in the distance where the hills could be seen, a +thick, misty appearance almost hid them from sight. There was a low, +muttering sound, then another, seemingly nearer; then came a dazzling +blue flash of lightning that made all the party stationed at the +dining-room window start back; and then came a long, rolling, rattling +peal of thunder, that sounded as though it had come bellowing through +great metal pipes; while before it had died away in the distance, +splashing and plunging down came the rain in torrents, ploughing up the +flower-beds, and making little rivers run along each side of the +gravel-walks. Out in the home-fields the cows and horses were running +to get under shelter of the trees, and looked evidently frightened as +flash succeeded flash of lightning, and peal after peal of thunder +seemed to make the very heavens vibrate as they rolled round and round, +east, west, north, and south. The rain kept streaming down so fast that +out of doors seemed one great watery mist that could have been almost +swum through. + +All at once, just in the middle of a clap of thunder, Mary, the +housemaid, opened the dining-room door, and hurriedly said something, +but what no one could tell, for her voice was drowned by the rumbling +peal. + +"Oh! my poor verbenas," said Mrs Inglis. + +"Oh! won't this fill up the carp-pond, jolly!" said Harry. + +"Come in, Mary," said Mrs Inglis; "what's the matter? Are all the +upstairs windows shut?" + +"Oh! yes, mem," said Mary; "but the drain's stopped in the yard, and +Dick's kennel's floating, and the water's all coming into the kitchen." + +"Oh! come and see," said Harry; and away the whole party went, to be +just in time to see the water taking its departure, and Dick's kennel +wrecked, down by the gates where the yard was highest, for Old Sam, in +spite of the pelting rain, was punching away at the sink-hole with the +stump of an old birch broom, and the water was rushing down it like a +little maelstrom; while the bits of straw and twigs that floated near, +represented the unfortunate vessels that get caught in that famous +whirlpool. + +And still the rain kept pelting down, although the lightning ceased to +flash, and the thunder grew more and more distant, till it could only be +heard to mutter occasionally afar off. And still the rain kept pouring +down, even after cook had made up a roaring fire and wiped up all the +water, trundling her mop outside the scullery door till it seemed to go +off like a wet firework, as she spun and twisted it upon her great red +arms. And still it kept raining, after cook had smeared mason's dust +all over the stone floor with the wet mop, and when it had dried up and +the floor looked beautiful and white--white like the clean dresser and +table that cook used to scrub with soap and sand as though she meant to +scrub all the top off. And still it kept on raining, till tea was +brought in, and the urn hissed and sputtered upon the table, and at last +it became very plain that there would be no more going out that night, +to the great disappointment of the boys; for though in London Fred +hardly went out at all except for a walk, yet now the liberty of the +morning made him feel like a caged bird, and a melancholy feeling seemed +to come over all three boys as they sat watching the leaden sky, the +dripping leaves, the beaten down flowers, the sandbanks by the walks, +and the great drops of water that formed upon the edge of the verandah +and porch, and then came down plash upon the stone pavement. + +"Oh! come along," said Harry at last; "I know what we'll do." + +"What?" said Philip and Fred together. + +"Oh! come along, you'll see," said the other. + +Mrs Inglis was busy over some needlework, and the Squire deep in a +book, so the boys slipped out of the room without any notice being +taken, and perhaps half an hour passed away, when all of a sudden Mrs +Inglis dropped her work and jumped out of her chair, while the Squire, +leaping up, overturned his little reading-table, and with it the +screened candle-lamp, breaking the glass and setting fire to the green +crimped shade. + +"Whatever is the matter?" said the Squire, when he had extinguished the +burning paper; "whatever is the matter?" he continued, as they heard +another scream similar to one that had caused the first start. + +Mrs Inglis ran out of the room, and through the passage into the +kitchen, from whence the sound seemed to have proceeded; and, on +entering, there stood cook upon the dresser, while Mary, having knocked +off the brass kitchen candlestick on to the floor, was balancing herself +upon the top of the little round table, which creaked and groaned and +threatened to break with the weight that had been put upon it. + +"What's the matter?" said Mrs Inglis. + +"Oh! do look, mem," said cook, "do look; there it goes again!" + +And Mrs Inglis herself started, for a gritting, grinding, scraping +noise was heard, and then by the light of the fire she saw one of the +large tin dish covers go creeping along the kitchen floor, till it +reached the wall underneath the place where it generally hung. + +Mrs Inglis could not help feeling a little startled, but, knowing well +that some trick must have been played, she told Mary to get down and +pick up the cover and hang it in its place. + +"Oh! please 'm, I dussn't," said Mary. + +"Then I must," said Mrs Inglis, and stepping across the kitchen, she +lifted up the cover, when out popped the great black tom cat, that was +generally toasting his back before the fire, but who now seemed +dreadfully put out with being shut up so long under such an unpleasant +prison-house. + +Just then an uncontrollable burst of merriment came ringing out of the +passage, where it was all dark; which gave Mrs Inglis a very good clue +as to who were the authors of the mischief. + +The next morning at breakfast time all the trees, flowers, buds, lawns, +and hedge-rows looked soaking wet, and the rain kept pouring down,--not +so heavily, certainly, as on the previous night, but quite enough to do +away with all prospect of going out that day. + +"A bad job, as there's so much hay down," said Mr Inglis; "but I think +it will be fine again to-morrow, and it will swell out the corn +beautifully." + +"But how wet it will be," said Philip, "when it leaves off raining! We +shan't be able to play." + +"Oh, yes, you will," said his father. "Why, boys, you ought to go down +to the mill early to-morrow morning. Old Peagrim will have had the +fish-traps open to-night, for the river will be flooded, and then you +will be able to see some sport,--that is if it leaves off raining." + +"Oh! that will be capital," said Harry; who then had to enter into a +long dissertation, explaining to Fred what a fish-trap was; and how +watermills went round; and which was the dam, and the tail, and the +waste-water, and all the rest of it. After this they helped the Squire +to arrange his cabinet of birds' eggs; and Fred learned the difference +between sparrows' eggs, and finches', and tits', and larks', etc, from +the tiniest tom-tit's egg right up to that of the wild swan, which had +been known to breed in the marsh, five miles from Hollowdell; and so +interested did the boys get with the work they had in hand, that the +dinner-bell rang before they could believe it was more than half-past +eleven. + +After dinner there was the vivarium to clean out in the conservatory; +and a nice job it was, for there were the globes and glass jars to bring +full of clean water, and the gold fish to catch with the little net, and +to place in the globes; all of which duties Mr Inglis set the boys to +do, while he superintended. Then there was the syphon to draw all the +water off into the pails, which Sam had to come and empty; and this +syphon puzzled Fred a great deal, for he could not understand how the +water could run up, and then down the other side. + +"Well, but," said Mr Inglis, "have you not learnt that at school in +your lessons on physics? Do you not know that it is by atmospheric +pressure; the air being exhausted from the pipe, the water is forced +through?" + +Fred said he had learned all these things, but never understood them +well. And then, when the water was all drawn off, there was no end of +little, things to pop into the glass jars of clean water. Snails, and +beetles, and caddis worms; newts, frogs, toads, tadpoles, tiny crayfish, +and about a dozen tiny eels; while the grandest fellow in the whole +glass kingdom was a little jack, about five inches long, who wouldn't be +caught in the net, but dodged round the rock-work, and had at last to be +taken out by hand. Then the bottom was all renewed with fresh gravel +and stones; fresh-water plants put in; and all the inhabitants restored +to their glass home to dash about with delight; while, as soon as he +felt himself in fresh-water, a great mussel, that lay down at the side, +put out his pretty white mantle; the snails began sailing up and down, +and the water spiders began to pop in and out among the fresh plants and +weave webs, just as if they were out of the water, and did not have to +carry their supply of air down in a bright silvery-looking bubble +attached to their bodies. + +Mr Inglis said he had hard work with all his pets, for they were so +fond of eating one another, and the jack was the worst of the whole +party, and always in mischief; but he was such a handsome green and gold +fellow, and so tame, that he could not be turned out, even though he bit +off the tiny gold fish's tail one day, and made him so bad that he died. + +So what with getting the aquarium to rights, assisting to rearrange the +plants in the conservatory, and helping to water them, so that they +should not be teased by seeing the rain fall outside whilst they were +kept dry within doors, it got to be tea-time; and, dull as the day had +been, Fred declared he had enjoyed it wonderfully, and only wanted tea +to be over for Mr Inglis to fulfil his promise, and show them the +pictures of the sea anemones, and the other wondrous things that were +found on the seashore, where they were to go one afternoon before Fred +went back. + +Mr Inglis used to say that he liked his boys to learn scientific +things, but not after the fashion of parrots; so he used to bring before +their notice the wonders of animal and vegetable life, that are spread +around us waiting to be noticed; and then, in reply to their questions, +give them the information they sought. The consequence was, that the +lads gained a vast amount of information through having their interest +excited, and what they learned in this way was never forgotten. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +VISITING THE FISH-TRAPS. + +Fred's first act the next morning on waking, which he did before six, +was to jump out of bed and ran to the window. It was dull, certainly, +and a great heavy mist was rising from the soaked earth; but the ram had +ceased, and there were hopes that it might turn out a fine day. Having +satisfied himself upon this point, he went on tiptoe to his cousins' +room, where the lads were in their beds, one on each side of the window, +fast asleep, and looking as though they would not wake up for another +hour. + +Fred was so proud of his achievement in being up first that he stood for +a moment considering what he should do, when, pulling a piece of string +from his pocket, he wetted it in the jug, and, twisting up one end, +proceeded to tickle Harry's nose with the soft point. Harry gave a +vicious rub at the irritated organ, and then another, and another, but +without opening his eyes. Fred then drew the string gently over eyes, +cheeks, and forehead, making the tormented boy twist and turn in his +bed, muttering something about "bothering flies." The next place of +attack was the ear, which was directly protected by the insertion of one +of Harry's fingers; so that Fred was obliged to return to the nose +again, all the time hardly driven to keep from laughing aloud; and this +time he titillated the poor fellow so unmercifully that he burst out +with a violent sneeze, and sitting up in bed was face to face with his +tormentor. + +"Er-tchishew, er-tchishew!" said Harry, bouncing out of bed with his +pillow in his hand. "Phil! Phil!" he shouted, "here's a trespasser." + +Philip jumped up and followed his brother's example, and between the two +poor Fred got so bolstered, or rather pillowed, that he was fain to cry +out for mercy, just as a sharp rapping at the wall told the boys that +they had disturbed the Squire. + +Directly after breakfast the lads started to go to the mill, which was +the property of Mr Inglis, but held by one of his tenants, Mr Pollard. + +"Oh! he has got such a rum fellow there for a man," said Harry; "we call +him Dusty Bob; but he's such a good chap, and will tell you all sorts of +tales about catching fish in mills; for he's always lived in watermills +ever since he was a boy. But his proper name's Peagrim." + +The anxiety to see the "rum fellow"--Dusty Bob--made the boys hurry on, +but there were again so many attractions by the wayside that stoppages +were very frequent. The sandy roads had soaked up all the rain, but on +every leaf and spray heavy dew-drops were hanging and glittering in the +morning sun; while the birds were singing as though to make up for lost +time. The road wound, along by the old mossy palings which bounded Mr +Inglis's property, and the grove on the other side seemed to be the +special resort of all the sweetest warblers in that part of the country. +On every sunny bit of paling the flies were buzzing and humming; +beetles and little sun-shiners were crawling about; while great +variegated spiders were mending their nets, ready for the trade they +hoped to do in flies on that bright July day. + +Such a scent came up from the freshened earth; and bright and golden +green looked every leaf, washed clear of the dust that had rested upon +it a day or two before; while the hedge-side flowers, although nodding +with the watery weight they bore, had turned their opening petals to the +sun, and seemed to laugh out their welcome to his warm bright beams. + +"There goes a peacock-eye," said Philip, dashing after a lovely +butterfly, which kept on gently just before him for a time, and then +settled nicely in reach upon a robin-run-rake by the hedge-side. Philip +stole cautiously forward, cap in hand, and then made a dab down to +secure the brightly-painted prize; but, with one or two flaps from those +gorgeous wings, it was out of reach, over the palings, and away across +the buttercup-gilded meadow on the other side. + +Directly after, Harry was off after a great sulphur-coloured butterfly, +which led him a long chase down the lane--Fred joining in at first, but +afterwards taking up a chase on his own account after a large blue +dragon fly. The butterflies would not be caught that morning, but the +chase had one good effect, for it led the lads down to the banks of the +little river, now very full and muddy in its waters, which were rushing +along with great haste, and evidently in a hurry to get down to the +mill, and go tumbling and foaming over the muddy sluice at the head of +the waste-water. The tops of the reeds were nearly covered, and in some +places the water was out over the road; while down where the foot-plank +crossed the wide ditch that brought down the waters from Beaker Hill to +empty into the river, the water had risen so that it touched the board, +and supplied capital amusement to Harry, who danced in the middle of it, +sending the water flashing and splashing about in all directions, and +wetting everything around but himself. + +At last he grew tired, and Philip crossed too, but Fred hardly dared +venture, for the board was muddy and slippery, and at last Harry had to +come back and half lead him over; but it was a new feat to him. And now +they reached the mill, which stood upon a little island right in the +river--an island that stretched up the stream right to a point, with a +stout post driven in to break the force of the river, which now seemed +quite angry at being divided, and rushed round on both sides, foaming +and roaring as though it was determined to carry island, mill, and +everything else away. + +"Come along, Fred," said Harry; but Fred felt nervous; it was all new to +him, and he could hardly summon up courage to cross the frail bridge +over the foaming waters that rushed down the sluice, and formed a +cataract on the other side--the waters plunging down in a muddy torrent, +and then boiling up in the maddest way. But he grasped his cousin's +hand tightly, and, crossing the bridge, walked round the mill to the +other side. And now he could feel the whole place tremble and vibrate +as the water rushed under the dark arches to the mill wheels, which were +going swiftly round; while inside the tall wooden building, pair after +pair of stones were spinning round and round, turning the hard, firm +corn into white nutritious flour. + +Philip led the way, and they entered the mill, where the warning bells +were ringing to give notice that the corn was flowing down rightly; and +the mill-hoppers kept on "ruttle, ruttle;" the water hissed, seethed, +and rushed under their feet; the millstones rumbled round and round; and +there on the top of the sacks, with which the place was half filled, sat +the two great white cats belonging to the miller, fast asleep; while in +a corner, upon a heap of empty corn bags, sat Dusty Bob himself, nodding +and nodding as though he meant to shake his head off. + +"Hallo, Bob, hoy!" shouted Harry in a voice which was hardly heard above +the din in the mill. + +"Hullo!" said Bob, gruffly, jumping up. "Oh, it's you, young masters, +is it? Well, I expect I've been asleep. I was up half the night, for +we were so busy, and had so much water." + +"Here's our cousin from London; and Papa said we might bring him to see +the fish-traps; and he said you were to have that for showing us," said +Philip, pulling out a shilling from his pocket; which action made Bob's +eyes twinkle, and removed all sleepiness. + +"Stop a minute, young genelmen," said he, going to a cupboard in a +corner, and taking out a black teapot--at least what should have been +black, but it was all over flour. "There," he said, "that's what I +always keeps there to drink when too much dust gets down my throat." +Saying which Bob took a long drink of cold tea out of the spout, and +then generously offered it to all the visitors, who declared that it was +such a little time since they had had breakfast that they would rather +not. + +"More left for me then," said Bob; "and now for the fish-traps. I +opened them last night, but I forgot to look this morning; so you're +just right, my lads--just right. Shouldn't wonder if there was a whale +down in the big trap after all this water; should you, Master Harry, +eh?" + +"None of your gammon, Bob. Think I don't know better than that? Why +don't you come and look at the traps?" + +"'Cos I ain't in such a hurry as you are," replied Bob. "You'd like me +to run, wouldn't you, eh?" + +"Do come, Bob," said Philip, putting in his appeal to the rough and +dusty object before him--an appeal not without its effect, for Bob gave +a very dusty smile; and then, reaching down a bunch of keys from a nail +in the wall, proceeded with one of them to open a door which led down a +dark flight of damp stairs to the under regions of the mill, where the +two great toothed wheels were swiftly revolving--dripping with water, +and looking horribly wet, slimy, and muddy; while between them, and on +each side, were what Harry had called the fish-traps: large contrivances +of strong laths about half an inch apart, forming very wide and deep +cages, down into which, in a torrent, the water rushed and passed +through--of course leaving therein everything in the shape of fish that +had been brought down by the swiftly speeding current. + +At the first sight of the gloomy cellar-like place and the sound of the +rushing stream, mingled with the hollow cavernous plashing noise of the +water running from the wheels as they rose from out the deep well-like +chasms where they did their duty, Fred shrunk back and hardly liked to +descend; but, seeing how coolly and confidently his cousins went down, +he summoned up courage and followed, while Bob proceeded to inspect trap +number one. + +"Well! that's a pretty go," said Bob; "shan't catch many fish that a +way, anyhow." + +"Why, what's the matter?" said Harry, looking at the great wooden fish +cage. + +"Matter!" said Bob; "why, some one's left the door open." + +"I know who it was," said Harry, laughing, as he inspected the opening +at the bottom of the trap, through which everything that had entered +must have escaped. "I know who it was," said Harry, again. + +"Who?" said Philip, innocently. + +"Who? why, old Bob!" + +"You _are_ right," said Bob, grinning. "I did leave it open, because +some one came in the mill, and then I had to go. Never mind, I couldn't +help forgetting to come down again, could I?" + +On going to the next trap they found that the force of the water had +broken two of the bottom laths away, leaving room for any sized fish to +get out; but for all that there was a great black-backed slimy-looking +monster of an eel, nearly a yard long, gently gliding about over one +side of the cage, close to the hole. + +"Now, Bob," said Harry, "here he is, such a stomper; get him out quick." + +But Bob did not get him out quick, for upon the first touch of the +barred door, the eel gave a glide, went through the broken bottom of the +trap, and was gone. + +"Oh--oh--oh!" chorused the boys, "what a pity!" + +"Why didn't you be quicker, Bob?" said Harry, "I know I could have +caught him. How jolly tiresome! Do be careful next time." + +"Why, wasn't I careful?" said Bob. "There ain't a slipperier thing +anywheres, than one of them big eels. There ain't no holding of them at +all when there are no holes in the bottom of the traps; and of course I +couldn't stop that un without any salt to put on his tail." + +"Don't talk such stuff," said Philip; "we are not children, and you +don't think we believe all that rubbish about salt on tails, do you?" + +Bob indulged in a long low chuckle, and then led the way to the last +trap under the mill, though there was one at the head of the waste-water +outside. It was very dark in the corner where they now went, but in +spite of the darkness the boys could see the silvery gleam of something +moving behind the bars, while Bob suddenly grinned out-- + +"Now then, young gents, here they are; but stop while I fetches a pail." + +Bob went upon his errand, and slowly ascended the steps that led into +the mill, while the boys crept as close as possible to the trap, through +which the water was rushing swiftly. It was very evident that there +were several good-sized fish in; but while they looked, something seemed +to dart down from above, there was a great splashing and flapping about, +and then it grew pretty evident that a new-comer had joined the +prisoners--who had all commenced bobbing and flopping about, as though +to remonstrate against his arrival. + +And now came Bob with a great pail, which he held under the sliding door +of the trap, telling Harry to pull it open. He did so, and into it +glided the pailful of different kinds of fish, while one monster of an +eel got half his body over the side and slipped out on to the damp +floor, where he began to wriggle and twist, evidently meaning to get +down one of the wheel channels. But Bob had seen one fine fellow slip +away that morning, and did not mean to lose this one; for he knew it +would be worth shillings to him, either to sell, or to send by his young +visitors up to Squire Inglis's; so at it he dashed, nearly upsetting the +pail as he hastily banged it down. And now began a regular battle, the +eel making for the water, and the eel-catcher keeping him away. It was +one of those monsters that are rarely caught by hook and line, but which +lie in the deep muddy holes of rivers, out of which places they mostly +sally when there is a flood. + +Strong! it was as strong, Bob said, as a horse, and writhed and twisted +about so that he could not retain his grasp upon its slippery shiny +skin. + +Twice he got it up in a corner, tight up against the brick wall, and +away it went again close to the water's edge and was nearly lost, but +for a lucky kick from Harry which saved it. No one else cared about +touching the monster, and at last it appeared as though the prize would +escape after all, for Bob was trying to retain it with one hand only-- +the other appearing to be disabled in some way or another; but it was +not so, for Bob meant mischief, and his hand reappeared with his great +bread and cheese knife, which he opened with his teeth, and then, with +one great gash, nearly severed the unfortunate eel's head from his snaky +body. + +"There!" said Bob, triumphantly; "that are the biggest eel I ever caught +in this here water. Why, he weighs six pound, I know he do. Shut the +door of that ere trap again, Master Harry, and there'll be some more +to-night, I know." + +Saying this, Bob made a commotion in the pail by laying his great prize +on the top of the other captives, and then carried them all carefully up +into the mill, where the visitors proceeded to gloat over the spoil. + +Two or three sacks were laid upon the mill floor, and then Bob emptied +the pail, and there they were, flapping, leaping, and writhing about; +such a collection of fish as would have made any angler glow and feel +proud to carry home. First there was the great eel--such a monster, +with body as thick as Bob's wrist: then there was a beautiful trout +about two pounds' weight; a little jack about half the size; about two +dozen of fine roach; and about thirty eels of all sizes--one so small, +that the wonder was that he had not got through the bars; and the +largest so big, that it would have almost passed for the big one's +brother; while all of them seemed to consider that it was their duty to +get off the sacks as soon as possible, and therefore wriggled and +twisted towards the edges, giving the boys plenty of occupation to turn +them back, which Fred did with a piece of stick, wisely keeping the +uncouth creatures at a distance. + +"Now, what's to be done with them all?" said Bob. + +"I should like to have the little jack to put in our pond," said Harry. + +"Why, he'd kill all the roach," said Philip. + +"So he would," said his brother; "but then he's a nicer-looking fellow +than any there." + +"Well, I'll tell you what," said Bob, "we'll put the six biggest eels +and the trout into a basket, and you shall take 'em home--young jack and +all; and them tothers I shall send up into the village to sell." + +This was considered to be a capital arrangement; and soon after, off the +boys started with their basket tied tightly down to keep the eels from +getting out during the journey. Fred declined to help carry on account +of the eels, so Harry and Philip took a handle each and swung it between +them--a nice easy way for them, but very uncomfortable for the poor +eels, for every now and then Master Harry would swing so hard that the +basket would make a complete revolution, twist Philip's wrist, and, +making him leave go, the basket would come down bump upon the gravel +path. On they went, however, till they came to the little plank bridge, +over which Fred tripped lightly; and stood on the other side, laughing, +out of the reach of any splashing that Harry might feel disposed to +favour him with. + +The water had sunk a few inches lower during their visit to the mill; +and when Harry and Philip stood in the middle of the plank, which could +not of course be passed without having a splash, Harry began to spring +up and down, and the board being tolerably elastic, he and his brother +had a pretty good ride; but although there was double weight now upon +it, the plank would not touch the water. + +"Try again, Phil," said Harry. And up and down went the brothers for a +minute, but still clear of the water. + +"Come along, now," said Philip, "it's no use." + +"One more try, and a good one," said Harry; and then they began again. +"Now," he continued, "both together. One: that was a good one. Two: +better still. Three: and a--" + +"Snap." + +Just as they gave the last spring, there was a sharp crack from the +plank; a shriek from all the boys simultaneously; and Harry and Philip +were struggling in the deep water, for the plank bridge had divided in +two just in the centre. + +Fred ran to the edge, and, by kneeling down, managed to catch Philip's +hand, which was the only portion of him visible, as he was being swept +out of the broad ditch, which was running swiftly, into the river, for +fear and excitement had robbed him of his swimming powers; while Harry, +who could swim well, had given two or three strokes, and then, catching +the long grass, climbed out upon the opposite side. The next thing they +all did was to stand and stare at each other in blank amazement, from +which Harry was the first to recover, for he jumped about, shook himself +like a Newfoundland dog, and then said bluntly:-- + +"Don't you cry, Phil, we're quite wet enough. Never mind; Papa won't be +very cross if we go and tell him directly. I'm coming across now," and +in spite of the protestations of Philip and Fred, he got sloth fashion-- +hanging hands and legs--upon the pole that had served as a hand rail to +the broken plank, and which maintained its own bearings, and in spite of +its bending beneath his weight, he shuffled across, and stood wet and +dripping beside his companions. + +"Come on," said Harry, shaking himself again, and addressing the others, +who were still standing with long faces by the broken bridge: "let's +run; we shall soon be home, and nobody will meet us in Park Lane." + +"But where's the basket?" exclaimed Fred. + +"Oh!" cried Harry, aghast. + +"Why, it's gone," said Fred, "and the fish can't get out, though they +are in the water." + +Gone it was; there was not even a handle of the basket to be seen above +the water, though they looked long and anxiously up and down the river, +and everywhere that seemed impossible for it to have got to. But it was +gone, and no doubt the poor eels were drinking in their natural element +and twisting about in their little wicker prison; turning their +companions, the decapitated eel and the dead trout, over and over, and +up and down, in their efforts to escape. + +At last the trio started off, but with anything but light hearts, for +their appearance was far from being as neat as when they set off in the +morning. Fred was all over flour, through kneeling in the mill and +lolling up against the sacks; while his cousins looked as wet, muddy, +and pitiable, as two unfortunate, half-drowned young monkeys could look. +The butterflies flitted before them and danced up and down in the sunny +air, displaying their gorgeous wings; the yellowhammer flew out from +amongst the nettles, and betrayed the place where his sober-hued little +mate was sitting upon her grassy nest; a stoat ran across the road with +a bird in his mouth, and disappeared in the bank unchased; the corncrake +sang his harsh song in the park, seemingly close beneath the pales; and +two squirrels ran along the road right in front of them, and then sat +down with their little bushy tails cocked up, watching the boys ever so +long before they darted up the beech-tree bole, and hid behind the great +branches. But it was of no use; there was no tempting the boys out of +their solid sombre moodiness; and on they tramped, fishless and +disconsolate, for their young spirits were not damped, but literally +drenched; and then, too, they had lost their wicker idol, full of +captives--captives which, like those of the ancient Britons, were to +have been roasted; but now, alas! were in danger of being drowned; if, +as old anglers tell us, fish can be drowned. + +The day was brighter than ever, but for them it had lost its brightness; +and sadly and slowly they crossed the stile, crept across the +home-field, round to the stable-yard, and in by the back door; and, no +one seeing them, hurried up to their bedrooms, so that Harry and Philip +were able to make a decent appearance at dinner-time, without +frightening Mr and Mrs Inglis by their half-drowned aspect. + +It took a long time before it came to the surface, and a great amount of +determination before Harry could speak out respecting the morning's +mishap; for he, though the younger, was always the chief speaker; but at +last out it came with a rush, while Papa was helping the pudding, making +him give such a start that he put the wedge-shaped piece of rhubarb +pudding right upon the snowy white tablecloth instead of Fred's plate. + +"I say, Papa, Philip and I tumbled into Whaley Dyke, coming home from +the mill to-day; and it was so full that Phil would have been drowned, +for he was too much afraid to swim, only Fred pulled him out." + +And then, as the ice was broken, Harry told the whole tale, not omitting +the loss of the basket; and, though both Papa and Mamma looked serious +as they thought of the danger their boys had run, yet, as Harry had +prophesied, Papa was not very cross about it; and, after a little +serious admonition, shook hands with them all round, and said how proud +he was to think he could always trust his boys to tell the truth, for +now he could always have confidence in their word, and feel that he +could depend upon them in everything. + +"But, papa," said Harry at last, breaking out into a regular whimper, +"they were _such_ eels!" + +"And _such_ a trout!" said Philip. "And _such_ a jack!" said Fred. +"And they've all gone back to the river again," said Harry; "and I did +want the jack for the little pond, and old Bob will be sure to come up +to-night to see if you will give him something for the eels, and we +didn't get them." + +"Never mind, boys," said Mr Inglis; "I dare say we can make it all +right with Bob, the miller; and no doubt there are as fine eels in the +river as ever came out of it." + +As for Mrs Inglis, she seemed to take a more loving fancy to Fred than +she had before accorded to her sister's child; for had he not saved her +boy's life? + +Sure enough, Bob came down to the house that very evening, grinning and +smirking, and looking as pleasant as if he felt sure that he was going +to have some of the squire's home-brewed ale, and half-a-crown as well. +But Bob grinned a little more than he would have done in general upon +such an occasion; and when he caught sight of the boys he kept grinning +more than ever, and beckoning them in his uncouth way to come to him; +but Harry and Philip did not feel much disposed to go to Bob, for there +was all the dissatisfaction of the loss of the fish, and they did not +like Bob being paid for what they did not profit by. But at last Bob's +demonstrations were so violent that the three boys went into the kitchen +together, and then and there the dusty old rascal drew from behind him, +all the while grinning and showing his teeth more than ever, the very +basket they had lost, tied-up as though it had never been opened, and +with all the fish inside. + +Fred looked upon Bob as though he was a mighty conjurer. + +"Why, they came down the stream to the mill," said Harry, beaming with +his discovery. "So they did, Master Harry; you're right." + +"And you found them up against the grating?" + +"So I did, Master Harry; I did find 'em there." + +"And then you brought them here?" + +"So I did, Master Harry; you're right, I did." + +"Oh! hooray!" shouted Harry. "Hooray!" shouted Phil. + +"Hurray!" said Fred, hardly knowing why, but cheering because the others +did. And then out came the Squire, and out came Mrs Inglis, and out +came the eels, and out came the praises, and out came Bob's half-crown; +and the next day when those fish were cooked, the Squire declared that +this was the best trout he had ever tasted; and as to the eels, why they +were the richest, nicest, and best eels that were ever eaten, and no one +enjoyed them better than the boys who had had so much difficulty in +gaining them for a prize. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +BUYING A NEW WATER-BOTTLE. + +And now one morning, as soon as it was daylight, Harry jumped out of bed +and ran to his brother's, and with one whisk dragged everything off-- +sheet, blankets, counterpane, and almost Philip, and then the young +ruffian rushed into Fred's room, served him in the same way, and +narrowly escaped a crack on the head from his cousin's boot, which was +sent flying after him as he ran, but hit the wall instead, and then fell +toe foremost into the big wash hand jug, that seemed as if it stood +there on purpose to catch it. + +"Jump up, boys; why it's ever so late, I believe," said Harry. "I'll go +and see what time it is. Shrimping day!" + +Directly after Harry reappeared in Fred's room, and found Philip there. + +"I say, the clock's stopped in the night; it wants a quarter to four by +that old stupid thing on the staircase. I'll go down to the dining-room +and see there; I know it's half-past seven, and everybody is lying in +bed because Papa said we should all start in good time for the sands. +Don't I wish I was behind old Sam! Shouldn't I like to put a wasp in +his bed!" + +He then slipped quietly down to the dining-room. All was still; the +blinds drawn down, but the room was light enough for him to see the +hands upon the face of the little timepiece over the fireplace. + +"Ten minutes to four," said the clock. + +"All the clocks are wrong," said Harry, pettishly. "It must be late. I +know it is. I'll go in the kitchen." + +So off he went, pat, pat, with his bare feet over the oilcloth, and then +upon the sandy stones in the kitchen. Plenty of light there, and the +old Dutch clock plainly to be seen, only the pendulum stood still, and +the weights had run down; for cook had forgotten to draw them up on the +previous night. "Quarter to twelve," said the clock. + +"Oh! come, that won't do," said Harry. "I know it's late. Don't I wish +I had a watch of my own; I should know what the real time was then." + +Up he went to Fred's room with the same tale upon his lips respecting +the time, but as unbelieving as ever. + +"Why, it is only four o'clock," said Philip, looking out of the window; +"and there's the sun just rising. Well, you are a chap, Hal, to wake +one up at this time of the morning and say it's late. I shall go to bed +again." + +"So shall I," said Fred. + +"No, you won't," said Harry; dragging the clothes together and making a +bundle, with which he ran off into his own room with both the others in +full chase. And then began a regular scrimmage, French and English +fashion, and Harry, having two enemies, was pulled down sprawling over a +rushbottom chair, and then nearly kicked over the washstand, making such +a clatter that the Squire knocked angrily at the wall; when off the +noisy ones ran back into Fred's room, Harry this time being the pursuer, +armed with his bolster, "Bang, crash--crash, bang--whiz--wuz--rush." +Fred went backwards upon his bed, _hors de combat_, from a well-directed +blow from Harry's bolster; and then at it went Harry and Phil--the +latter being armed with a pillow, down whose front a ghastly slit soon +showed itself; but Philip fought well, and Harry was getting worsted and +driven into the corner amongst the boots, where the footing was rather +bad for bare feet "Flop!" Harry caught it then and staggered back. +"Flop" again, for Philip was surpassing himself, and Harry having +received the last blow full upon the top of his head went down upon one +knee; but he rallied again, ducked to avoid the next blow, and diving +under Philip's arm came up behind, and "Whooz!" went the bolster bang +upon Phil's back, and "Crash!" went Philip forward, ram fashion, with +his head into the wardrobe door. + +At it again: "whop--whop--flip--flop--bang," went pillow and bolster, +while Fred, sitting tailor fashion upon his bed, was rolling with +laughter. At last Philip began to shew signs of being beaten, and Harry +whirled his bolster round his head in order to administer the _coup de +grace_, when "crash!"--the water-bottle and tumbler were swept off the +dressing-table, splintering to pieces on the floor, and covering the +carpet with feet-piercing fragments and puddles of cold water. + +"Oh! shan't we catch it!" said both combatants, ceasing the war, like +two enemies who had just awakened to the fact that they had been doing a +vast amount of mischief to somebody else's property. + +"Oh! I say, whatever shall we do?" said Philip in dismay. + +"Pick up the pieces," said Harry, laconically. + +The three boys set to work, picked up the pieces, and sponged up the +water; but there was a great, rugged, black-looking patch, like a North +American continent, with plenty of islands all round it, in the midst of +the carpet; but then, too, there were the fragments of broken bottle and +glass. + +"Oh! I say, what shall we do?" exclaimed Philip again, when all was +made as decent as circumstances would permit. + +There was a minute's silence which no one seemed inclined to break; but +at last Harry said, moodily, "Why, we must go and tell Mamma; she won't +be so very, very cross." + +"She will, though; for she said we were not to bolster, because it +spoiled the pillow-cases so, and--" + +Here Philip caught sight of the pillow lying upon Fred's bed, the cover +being nearly torn off. Upon seeing this ghastly object Philip looked +more grim than ever, and he left his sentence unfinished. + +"Let's buy another bottle," said Fred; "I'll pay." + +This was a new idea. + +"Capital," said Harry. "I've got a shilling Papa gave me yesterday, and +I'll pay half." + +"So will I," said Philip, brightening up. + +But, as the bottle could not be bought by the lads all paying half, it +was decided that they should all bear a share in the proposed expense, +and go and buy the new water-holder before breakfast. + +"Hooray!" said Harry, "jump into your clothes, boys, and we'll run down +to the village and be back before breakfast's ready." + +In another quarter of an hour, the lads passed through the gate, and +stood in the lane leading to the village. Such a bright fine morning, +the sun gilding all the trees, and the birds singing away more merrily +than ever. The boys had looked at the clock as they descended the +staircase, and it was only five; so, as they had plenty of time upon +their hands to reach the village, they sauntered slowly along, having +only two miles to go. + +"I say," said Harry, "let's cross the fields and go round by the back +lane; we shall then go over the shallows, and Fred has never seen the +stepping-stones." + +"How much farther is it?" said Fred. + +"Only about a mile," was the reply. + +Off they went, over the stile, and then across the dewy grass, over more +fields, glittering in the morning sunlight, and then down into the back +lane. + +"Tuck up your trousers, boys," said Harry, setting the example; and then +when that preliminary was arranged, splish, splash, they went along the +wet path. + +A splendid lane that was for a walk, always under water, with quite a +stream flowing in parts, and shaded on either side by high hedges and +banks. It was always considered impassable, except in very dry weather +and in carts. But mischievous boys rather liked the back lane; there +was some fun in going along it, for it was nearly always half-way up the +boots, and then the water splashed so capitally when you ran down it. +Besides which, there were rats there, and stray sticklebacks: and the +nicest, smoothest, and roundest pebbles for throwing to be got anywhere; +besides, boots and feet soon get dry again in the summer-time; and, +after all, a good bit of fun is worth all the wet boots in the world--at +least, boys of twelve and thirteen think so. + +"Is it all wet, like this?" said Fred, rather taken aback at the +appearance of the place. + +"Rat! rat! rat!" roared Harry, a cry taken up by Philip; and away they +splashed, running upon their toes in chase of the long-tailed burrower. +But Rat never went very far from his residence in the day-time; and, +consequently, he showed the hunters only just the tip of his tail for a +moment, as he dived into his hole, and was gone. A little further on +the lane became dry again, and continued so, with the exception of a +little rivulet at the side, where the water was dimpling and glittering +over the stones, washed clean and smooth, and amongst which the boys +soon found plenty of those curious little fish, the stone loaches, for +the most part lying snugly beneath some great pebble, which had to be +turned over to effect their capture. + +At last they reached the river and the stepping-stones. Here the stream +had widened out and was very shallow, great rough masses of pudding +stone being laid on the bed to let wayfarers pass over dry-shod. This +was, however, a luxury looked upon with great contempt by Harry, who +merely drew his trousers into a roll above his knees, and walked +straight in all amongst the water-cresses and forget-me-nots which +peeped up here and there. Of course, such an example must needs be +followed upon the instant, and soon there were three young storks wading +about in the shallows. + +"Look! look!" said Fred, all at once; "what's, that?" + +They might well look, for with his scales glittering in the morning sun, +and making the water surge as he endeavoured to reach a portion of the +river more suitable for his bulk, a large pike came down the stream on +his side. He was a monster, and seemed nearly a yard long, and so big +that the boys could do nothing but stare at him at first; but Harry was +not to be put out of countenance by the biggest pike in England, so at +him he rushed. + +"Come on," he shouted, "turn him back. If he gets past the stones, the +water is deeper, and we shall lose him." + +Philip and Fred closed in, but never put forth a hand to touch the pike. +Not so Harry, for he boldly made a dash at it, and caught hold of the +slippery monster, who gave a flash with his tail, and was off yards +away, with Harry in full pursuit; and this time, the water being +shallower, he managed to give a good kick at the fresh-water shark, but +only one, for the fish gave another shoot, and was gone. + +"There's a brute!" said Harry. "He might just as well have been caught. +Wasn't he a thumper?" + +"Let's get some water-cresses and take home," said Phil. + +"Where are there any?" said Fred, who had never seen them growing +before. + +"Why, here, all about; here's lots and lots." + +So the lads set to, and picked a goodly bunch a piece, Philip +remembering, too, a little bouquet of forget-me-nots for his mother; and +then, landing on the opposite side, they strolled up the river to see if +they could see Harry's friend, the pike, but, no! he was invisible; and +not to be wondered at, after the manner in which he had been treated. +Still, though there was no pike, there was plenty else to be seen, for +the fish were rising all over the river; and out in the bright calm +places great chub were lazily basking in the warm sun. On every +shallow, shoals of roach and dace appeared, and rushed out in silvery +squadrons over the pebbly bottom; while the minnows and gudgeon seemed +as though they had been drilled, so regularly and closely they kept +together as they darted out into the middle of the river. + +Plenty to be seen? Ay, plenty; pretty little reed-warblers twittering +and chattering in amongst the strands which formed their waving home; +and every now and then the little bearded tits made their appearance, +but only to dart out of sight again in a moment. High over head sang +the lark, "trill--trill--trill;" and the soft sweetness of the morning +seemed to pervade everything. Now and then red and orange billed +moor-hens would lead their dusky little broods from amongst the reeds, +and after a short swim, lead them in again when they saw that they were +watched. Plenty to see? Ay! so much, that the water, the sky, and the +green banks took away every thought of the water-bottle and the village, +and even of breakfast, till all of a sudden Harry burst out-- + +"Oh, I'm so jolly hungry! let's turn back." + +"I wonder what time it is?" said Philip. + +"Seven," said Harry, "I know. Let's get down to the village and get the +bottle at old Perkins's, and then it will be time to go home to +breakfast. Oh! what a jolly morning!" + +They were soon abreast of the stones again where the path led down to +the village, and just then the distant church clock struck. + +"Told you so," said Harry, counting. "One--two--three--four--five-- +six--seven--_eight_!" + +The boys stared at one another quite aghast, and then, taking their cue +from Harry, started off full speed towards home, forgetting everything +but the idea of getting back in time for breakfast. + +When they entered the breakfast-room, nearly breathless, but with +sparkling eyes and glowing cheeks, both Mr and Mrs Inglis looked +rather serious; but the boys seemed so bright and happy that they had +not the heart to be cross with them, though the second cup of coffee was +being poured out, and the Squire loved punctuality; and though Mrs +Inglis had been into the boys' bedrooms and seen the mischief they had +done. + +"Come, boys; come, boys," said Mr Inglis, cheerily; "this won't do; you +won't last till night. Why, we're going down to get enough specimens to +start the salt-water aquarium; and Jem Baines, from the station, brought +the glass last night. It came down from London by the goods train. +There it is," he continued, pointing to an enormous inverted bell-glass +standing upon a block of ebony fitted for its reception. + +But the boys were too hungry to do more than glance at the crystal bell, +though Harry, with his mouth full, did say something that sounded very +much like "booty," though he evidently meant it for beauty. However, it +was excusable, as any of my young readers will say if they consider that +Harry had been up four hours, and out in the fresh air of the bright +summer morning. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +DOWN BY THE SEA. + +"Now, boys," said the Squire, when the breakfast was over, "time flies. +Harry, you tell Sam to bring the dog-cart round. Philip and Fred, you +help me to get the jars and bottles into the hall." + +This was soon done, and, the cart coming round, it was packed with the +different odds and ends that naturalists take with them when going to +the sea-side; and also with those agreeable refreshments taken by all +people, whether naturalists or not, when they anticipate being by the +rocks and shingle for a few hours in the fresh sea-breeze. The boys +then eagerly took their places, the horse leaped to the light shake of +the reins given by the Squire, Sam left its head, Mamma waved her +handkerchief from the porch, the gate was passed, and away they went +bowling over the hard road, and past, green trees, hedges, and fields, +with the sweet smell of new-turned hay borne on the morning breeze, +while the sky above seemed clearer and brighter than ever. + +"Now, boys, which way shall we go; down by the marsh, or along the +upland at once to the rocks?" + +"Oh, through the marsh, Papa!" said Harry; "and then you can drive along +the sands to the rocks. It is so nice and quiet riding along the +sands." + +"Yes," said his father; "but how about old Tom, here? He won't like +dragging all you great fellows through the heavy sand; will you, Tom?" + +Old Tom on hearing his master's cheery voice gave his head a toss, as +much as to say, "I should think not," and then trotted along faster than +ever, making the wheels spin round, and the dust fly in a cloud behind +them. + +And now they began to leave the woods behind: the hedges began to get +scarcer and shorter, and at last they were out in the marsh--a marsh no +longer, but a large and far spreading plain, divided by broad drains and +ditches, and dotted over with enormous cattle grazing in the rich fat +grass; while here and there the land seemed waving in the gentle breeze +as it lightly passed over the bending crops of wheat, oats, rye, and +barley. Here and there were farmhouses scattered at wide interval while +in the distance stood a church with a few houses clustered round it, and +towards this point Fred could now see that the road tended. Soon they +could see the high bank that guarded the marsh from the ravages of the +sea in its angry moments; and away to the right the beetling cliffs, +with the downs running up to the summits, and ending in a sheer +precipice three or four hundred feet deep, at whose foot it was said a +man-of-war had once been wrecked, and all souls drowned. Down beneath +the cliff, too, were the rocks of every fantastic shape or form, now +with the water just gently lapping their weed-hung sides, but in stormy +weather covering them with foam as it alternately showed their grim and +jagged shapes, or hid them from view. Woe, then, to the unfortunate +vessel that came amongst them, for the pitiless waves would lift it up +bodily, and then dash it down upon the cruel stones, shivering it to +pieces, and sending the splintered fragments to beat against the tall +cliffs or strew the shore! But the sea was now placid and beautiful, +with the sun making his beams glance off the heaving waves in far +spreading rays, while the tiny retiring wavelets left their marks upon +the sand in little ripple-marks, covered all over with the casts +thrown-up by the sea-worms. + +Old Tom had no heavy drag over the sands, for the boys were down in an +instant, racing over the flat surface, while Mr Inglis drove gently on +towards the rocks, where he drew up the car, took out Tom, secured him +to the wheel, and left him at last with his nose-bag on, under the +shadow of the rocks, nibbling his corn, and whisking the flies away with +his long tail. His master then took a bottle or two, and a couple of +hand-nets and a hammer, and walked down towards the water's edge. Soon +the boys joined him, loaded already; for there were such heaps of +treasures--long razor shells, whelk and cockle shells, limpets, mussels, +periwinkles, star-fish in the pools, seaweed of all shapes and colours, +shrimps; while all over the sand where they stood, busy sea-lice were +hopping about in myriads. + +Mr Inglis sent the boys for another glass jar or two, and an iron bar +that lay at the bottom of the cart; and then down they went towards +low-water mark, and searched amid the rocky pools till the Squire found +one to his satisfaction, when he stopped. + +"Now, Fred," he said, "you shall see what wondrous things there are in a +little pool, by the sea-side." + +And now, peering down into the clear, still water, they looked into a +little submarine forest of weeds--nay, of beautiful branching miniature +trees; while on the rocks were what seemed to Fred like flowers of the +most beautiful colours. + +"Now, Fred," said Mr Inglis, "fill your jar with water, and pick that +fine fellow off the rock." + +"It won't bite, will it?" said Fred, nervously, for he felt somehow that +it was not what it seemed. + +"Bite? no!" laughed his cousins; "look here," and Harry turned up his +sleeve and touched the beautifully tinted petals. + +In a moment they were gone, and in their place a dull-looking thing, +like a piece of soaking wet leather. At the solicitations of his +cousins, however, and following their example, Fred soon had several +dull, dumpy-looking discs in his jar. But now their attention was +called to Mr Inglis, who had found a specimen of the brittle star-fish, +which soon showed its right to the name by throwing off a couple of +ray-like arms. Next there were pinky-looking sea-slugs to gaze upon; +and at last, under a stone which Mr Inglis turned over with the iron +bar, such a myriad of objects for wonder and admiration, that all eyes +were directed to the different specimens, while every ear was open to +drink in the descriptions given by Mr Inglis. One of the curiosities +was a long, thin black ribbon, coiled and twisted about in all sorts of +awkward bends and curves; and this Mr Inglis told them was a curious +worm that lay with one end--the tail--firmly anchored to a stone, while +with the head it seized the first thing that touched it as it swam by. +Then would begin a struggle, the trapped one darting off, and dragging +to get away; while the worm, tough, thin, and pliant as a fishing-line, +let it play about till tired out, when the thin, black-looking monster +would quietly swallow his prey, boa-constrictor fashion, till nothing +was visible of it but a large knob in the worm's thin body. Then there +were polypes; hermit-crabs with their tails in cast-off shells; tiny +shell-fish tightly clinging to the stones; boring shells, weeds, and +tangles, swarming with innumerable tiny living forms; and so at last +bottles and jars were as well filled as was possible with treasures +enough to afford them amusement for the next month. + +They were all so busy that they did not notice the return of the tide; +but there is was, creeping slowly, surely, and silently in; and all at +once in came a fresh supply of water to the little pool, and showed our +visitors how soon it would be covered by the coming waters. And so they +had to retreat before the tide, like King Canute is said to have done, +years ago. They took all their treasures to the car; and then set to +work to unpack the basket which Mamma had prepared for the trip. And, +oh, how they enjoyed that meal, sitting as they were upon the sands, +with the cloth spread between them! There never was such delicious cold +chicken before, nor yet such ham, such currant and raspberry and cherry +tart, such a bottle of cream, that wouldn't come out, it was so thick, +but had to be poked forth with a fork. Everything was delicious, down +to the lemonade in the big bottle, although it had grown rather warm +through standing in the sun. Altogether it was a glorious repast, eaten +as it was on that delightful day, the dimpling sea spreading out before +them as far as the eye could reach, with here and there a white sail +like a speck upon the vast expanse. + +At last the lunch or dinner was ended, and then there was plenty more to +do and see. There was the old man sitting in his donkey-cart, very +stupidly as Fred thought, driving it along in the shallow water; but +when they came nearer they could see there were a couple of ropes +dragging behind; and just as they came up, out drove the old man very +slowly, and the two ropes at the tail of the cart dragged forth a long +shrimping-net, in which, for the first time, Fred saw hundreds upon +hundreds of the curious-looking crustaceans crawling about, black and +ugly, and in company with numbers of little silvery fish, which the old +man threw out, whereupon they shuffled their little bodies down out of +sight in the wet sand. Fred was about to rake them out again, but a +word of warning restrained him, for they were the little sticklebacks of +the sea, only their prickles made wounds of a poisonous nature that were +a long time getting well. + +Mr Inglis bought a basketful of the shrimps, although Fred said they +were black ones and not good; but he changed his mind when they came up +for tea, hot and red, and steaming from cook's saucepan. + +Then the old man drove in again to his shrimping, and our party stopped +to examine the jelly-fish, like glass paper-weights, which were left +upon the sand, while Mr Inglis pointed out two or three which had been +left by the morning tide, and were now dried up to a thin, filmy skin. +There was plenty to see. On the cliffs there was samphire in abundance, +which they could easily gather, without hanging half-way down like +Shakespeare's samphire-gatherer. They picked a good bunch for cook to +pickle; and collected so many things of all sorts and kinds that Papa at +last cried, "Hold, enough!" for poor Tom would never be able to get +everything home. Pockets, baskets, handkerchiefs, even thing was full. +There were perforated stones; shells of all kinds; sea-weeds; dry +star-fish; pieces of jet; bright pebbles; smooth pearly pieces of +oyster-shell; tiny pebbles bright and glistening; in short, such a +collection of treasures that Mr Inglis looked at his watch and declared +it was time to go, for they would have to travel slowly on account of +the live specimens. One thing remained to do, and that was to fill the +great stone bottle, brought on purpose, with water for the new aquarium. + +"Gluggle, gluggle--blob, blob," went the big bottle as the air rushed +out, displaced by the salt-water, till the great thing was full, +securely corked, and deposited in the car. Tom's nose-bag was taken +off, his bit replaced, the boys mounted, for they were too tired to walk +along the sands, and they began their noiseless journey homewards, where +they arrived just as the sun was beginning to sink behind the hills, and +turning everything to burnished gold. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +LOST IN THE WOODS. + +"Whoo-oo-oo-oop!" sang out Philip Inglis. + +"Hoop--hoop--hoop!" shouted Fred as loud as he could. + +And then both stopped to listen, but not a sound could they hear +anything like a reply. There was a regular deep humming from the gnats +and flies; the twittering of a few distant birds; but with these +exceptions all was solemn silence. + +The boys had been out in the woods ever since three o'clock, seeking for +eggs for the cabinet, and had been very successful; but now the sun was +setting, and the last rays were turning the sky overhead into one +glorious golden canopy; the forest shades were getting deeper, and as +Fred said, he would not have cared only it was so dreadfully quiet, and +Harry was lost; and what was worse than all was, they were lost +themselves; and this is how it fell out: + +Mr Inglis had been talking about the collection of eggs they had in the +little museum, and said he would go with the boys to Beechy Wood, to see +if they could get a few more specimens; for he particularly wanted two +or three eggs rather difficult to obtain, such as the great spotted +woodpecker's, hawfinch's, and coletit's. + +"Oh, do let's go to-day, Papa," said Harry, clapping his hands. "That +will be capital." + +"Yes, yes, yes," said Philip. + +"No; not to-day," said the Squire; "I have several business matters to +attend to in the town, so you had better play cricket in the field, and +perhaps we may start to-morrow." + +Not the least disappointed of the trio was Fred, to whom the very name +of wood sounded romantic; he almost expected to find such a cave as Ali +Baba hit upon when out with his donkey, wood-cutting; or that the place +they went to would be the identical forest where the redbreasts covered +the unfortunate babes over with leaves when they laid down and died. +But it was of no use to be disappointed; they must wait till another +day, and, therefore, they went into the field to play cricket till +dinner-time. + +Cricket is a capital game: it looks well to see light, active figures +chasing the ball when the batsman has thrown all his power into the leg +hit, and sent the ball bounding and skimming far away beyond the farther +fielder; then backwards and forwards run the men at the wickets, while +the onlookers cheer and shout at the bowler's prowess, as he stops the +thrown-up ball, and hurls it at the wicket-keeper, who, with apparently +one motion for catching and knocking off the bailes, puts the hard +hitter out. + +Ah, it's a noble game, is cricket! it puts muscle on young bones, +sharpness in young eyes, tone in constitution, and a readiness to meet +difficulties and to parry them. Health, that rosy-cheeked goddess, +seems to have chosen the game for her own, and to love to place the +reflection of her own cheeks upon those of the players, and to make them +ruddy brown as well. But, somehow or other, cricket grows to be rather +dull and tedious when the players are idle and will not work. +Everything, if it is worth doing at all, is worth doing well: the heart +must be in it, and it must be done, as the sailors say, "with a will." +When you go to play cricket, it must not happen that you have your mind +out in Beechy Wood seeking for woodpeckers' nests; or else it will be +something the same with you as it was with our lads on that bright July +day, when things would keep going wrong. Harry would bowl too swiftly, +and send the ball right past the wicket ever so far, for Philip to fetch +back; and then, again, Philip would hit so savagely, and make Fred run +so far after the rolling ball, which in its turn was obstinate, and +would keep creeping amongst the long grass, and getting lost; or amongst +the stinging-nettles, where Fred, who did not know their qualities, was +stung, and had to be rubbed with dock leaves, when they could find any, +which, either from idleness or their unrule-like absence, was not for +some time. Then Harry sent the bailes flying with a vicious ball as +soon as Fred went in for his innings, and so they were lost, and had to +be found; and soon after, while Harry was in, Fred threw the ball up so +sharply, that Phil, in catching, missed it, and received a blow in the +stomach that made him lie down and brought the tears into his eyes, as +much from vexation as pain. Then the sun would shine so hotly, and the +flies tease, and the nasty cows had been all over the place where they +generally played; so at last the game of cricket came to a stand-still +till dinner-time; when, having left their bats and stumps in the field, +they went in to the mid-day meal. + +After dinner, they returned to the cricket-ground, but matters were +worse than ever: the flies seemed to be savage to think that the boys +had been having a hearty meal while they had been fasting, so they set +to work to see if they could not take it out of them, and began by +attacking Fred, then Harry, then Philip; till at last, what with the +heat, the idle feeling, and the teasing of the flies, the boys gave up +playing in despair, and stood lounging under the great cedar, cross, +tired, and ill-tempered. + +"I should like to go to bed," said Fred. + +"There's an idle-back," said Harry; "I shouldn't I should like to take +my clothes off, and lie down under a fountain, and let all the nice cool +water trickle and splash all over me. Poof! ain't it hot?" + +"I know what I should like to do," said Philip; "I should like to sit +right up there on the top of the cedar, and rock--rock, rock--rock, +backwards and forwards--looking up at the blue sky, and thinking I was a +soft, downy bird." + +"Ho! ho! ho!" said Harry. "He'd look like an old cock jackdaw when he's +moulting. Ha! ha! ha! what an old stupid!" + +"I don't care," said Philip; "I know it would be nice; wouldn't it, +Fred?" + +"Well, but you couldn't sit there; the boughs would break, and you'd +come down," said Fred. "But what makes all that thick bunch of hay and +rags up there? Why, it's a nest, isn't it?" + +"So it is," said Harry; "why, I never saw that before. Let's get up and +get it. There's sure to be eggs." + +"I shan't," said Phil; "it's too hot." + +"What a lazy old chap you are, Phil," said his brother. "It's a +tree-sparrow's nest, and we haven't got a single egg. I mean to go." + +Saying which Master Harry stripped off his blouse, threw down his cap, +and commenced operations. + +"Don't go, you'll fall," said Fred; "it's ever so high up, and the +boughs won't bear you." + +"Pooh!" said Harry, "I can do it;" and running along under the great +branches that stretched away, drooping towards the ground, he gave a +spring, and caught a bough, turned up his heels, and so made his way, +hanging head downwards, to the trunk after the same fashion as he did on +the day of the fishing excursion. On reaching the trunk, he scaled up +from bough to bough, almost as actively as a monkey, till at last he +reached the branch which bore the nest, where he stooped puzzled, for +Mrs and Mr Passer must have had an eye to safety when they constructed +their nest; for unless Master Harry had possessed the activity and +lightness of body of the old cock jackdaw he was so lately talking +about, there was no chance of his getting any of the tree-sparrow's eggs +for his collection. + +"Well, why don't you throw the nest down?" said Philip, jeeringly. + +"'Cos I can't," said Harry. "Why don't you come and sit up here, and +look at the blue sky, and then perhaps you could? I'm not going on a +thin branch that wouldn't bear a cat." + +Whereupon down came Master Harry, all over green, and with the cedar +spines sticking through his shirt, in his hair, and down his back, and +making him shift and shuffle about in a most uncomfortable manner. + +"I say," said Harry, "let's go off to the wood." + +"Papa wouldn't like it," said Philip; "and besides, we are going +to-morrow." + +"Oh! ah! and then perhaps it will rain. Do let's go; we could get the +eggs, and Papa would be so pleased." + +"I don't think he would," said Fred. "My Papa would not if I went when +he told me not." + +"But he didn't tell us not," said Harry; "and I know he would like the +eggs. I'll go." + +"That's right," said Philip, "but I'll go and tell Mamma we are going." + +"No, don't," said Harry; "let's tell her when we come back, because she +might say you had better not go." + +"I shan't go," said Fred, stoutly. + +"There's a sneak," said Harry. "Why, we could show you all sorts of +things. There's the fox's cave; and the waterfall; and the old hollow +tree that holds ten people; and the magpies' nests; and owls, and +wood-pigeons, and turtle-doves." + +"And snakes," said Philip. + +"Yes," said Harry; "and snakes and adders, and the dark tarn where the +great eels are. But never mind, you can stop; can't he, Phil? we don't +want him. We'll take Dick, and get some rats as we go along. I say, +Fred, you can stay in Dick's kennel, and we'll put the collar round your +neck." + +Now Fred wanted to do what was right, and would not blind himself into +the belief that "Papa would be so pleased with the eggs;" for he knew +his uncle would not like them to go off in the way proposed; but he was +not prepared to withstand the temptations held out to him, for they were +enough to turn the head of any town lad. To go to a wood was almost +enough, but one with such wonders in was too much--nests and birds of +such rarity. Fox cavern, waterfall, and a dark tarn, besides catching +rats with the dog; he could not stand all that. And then when the +sarcastic remarks of his cousin were put into the scale he was +completely done for, and, turning quite reckless of the consequences, he +let the scale containing duty fly up into the air, and jumped into the +other with his cousins, and away they ran to loosen Dick. But this was +easier said than done, for Dick could see at a glance that there was +mischief afoot, and nearly ran mad with delight: he barked, he leaped, +he tore at his chain, he tugged so that Harry could not unbuckle his +collar; and when at last it was dragged over his head, turning his ears +inside out, and making his rough hair stand up in a bigger Brutus than +ever, and nearly making him blind, he raced round the yard with his +mouth wide open; dashed at the old raven, and knocked him over before he +could hop upon the wall, where he got at last, and shook the dust off +his feathers with an angry "jark;" while Dick, withy staring eyes and +his tongue hanging out, ran right between Philip's legs, made a feint at +Fred, and then leaped right on Harry, who caught hold of his short +stumpy tail as he went down and dragged him towards the gate. + +"Whoop," and away; over the field right to the far corner, where the +cattle drank from the little horse-pond, which was black with +podnoddles, wagging and waving their little tails in their hurry to get +into deep water. "Whoop," and away along the lane; all idleness and +fatigue forgotten, and every nerve strained to reach the wished-for +spot, which was only about two miles from the field where the lads +played at cricket. + +"Last man there to have two kicks," said Harry, just as he was well in +front, and starting off at full speed, but passed in a moment by Dick, +who raced away, making believe to discover a treasure every two minutes; +and sniffing and barking at every rat or rabbit hole they passed. Off +and away--Harry in front with Dick, Philip next, and Fred panting in the +rear, hot and out of breath with his run, and asking his companions to +stop. + +"Whup! whup! whup! yaff! yaff!" said Dick, as they came up to a field +containing a flock of sheep, heavy with their long wool; and over the +hedge he went headlong amongst them, making the poor timid, stupid +creatures run as fast as their legs would carry them, with their heavy +fleeces touzling and shaking about till each sheep looked like a +magnified thrum mop being shaken to get rid of the water. A fine game +did Dick have of it, for as soon as ever he stopped and gave a farewell +bark--as much as to say, "There, I've done"--and began to retrace his +steps, the sheep would come to a stand-still, stare after him as though +he were some unknown monster, never before seen or heard of, and then +begin to follow him up, slowly at first, but afterwards at a canter. +Now, of course Dick couldn't stand this running away, and all the sheep +apparently in chase of him; so he was obliged to turn round and keep +making charges at the flock; and, consequently, poor Dick, in thus being +so particular about his honour, would never have got out of the field, +for every time he chased the sheep away they followed him up again; and +it was all the fault of one great, black-faced, chuckle-headed wether, +who was so stupid that he couldn't keep quiet, and of course all the +sheep kept following him, for he had a tinkling copper bell attached to +his neck, which seemed to be an especial abhorrence to Dick, from the +way he barked at it. But at last the dog heard a summons that he could +not disobey, namely, a long whistle from his young masters; so making +one last furious charge at the old bell wether, and actually scattering +the forces as he got hold of him by the wool. Dick rushed after his +masters, and caught them at last with a lot of wool in his mouth, which +was entangled in his teeth, and made him cough and sputter dreadfully. + +At last they reached the edge of the wood, into which Dick dashed with a +leap and a bound, running his nose down amongst the dead leaves, and +smelling an enemy in every bush, and at last giving chase to a squirrel +which ran across the open to a great beech-tree, up which it scampered +until it reached the forked boughs, where it sat with its tail curled +up, looking tormentingly down upon his pursuer Dick, who rushed headlong +at the tree, scrambled up a couple of feet, and then came down flop upon +his back, without the squirrel of course; but he made up for it by +running round and round the trunk, barking, baying, and snapping in +impotent rage, while little nut-nibbler gave a sort of "skirr," and then +ran up the tree, leaped to the next, and the next, and disappeared in +his hole far up the trunk of a great elm. Harry now took the lead down +the narrow path that led into the wood, parting the tangled branches +every now and then to get through, and all the time looking carefully +round for nests. They very soon heard the harsh cry of the jay, who was +letting all the inhabitants of the woodlands know that enemies were at +hand, and away flew the birds. The blackbird was the first to take the +alarm from the jay, and away he flew, crying, "Kink, kink, kink," as he +started from his nest in a great ivy tod on an old pollard-tree. The +lads soon found the nest, and peeped in, but instead of eggs there were +four wretched-looking little objects, all eyes and beak, with long, +scraggy necks, wide throats, and naked bodies with little downy tufts +upon them. All three had a peep, while Dick snapped his teeth together +as though to say he would like to make a meal of one or all of them; but +the callow brood was left unmolested for their yellow-billed parents to +take care of, while Harry led the way to the fox's cave. This, however, +proved rather a disappointment to Fred, who had been picturing to +himself a huge stalactite cavern, which they would require torches to +explore, while the cave in question proved to be only a hole in the side +of a gravelly ravine, big enough to creep in, certainly, but anything +but majestic in appearance; while the probabilities were that a fox had +never been in it since it was a hole. However, it was called the fox's +cave, and that was enough. + +The waterfall was certainly better worthy of attention, for a tiny +stream trickled over a huge mossy rock, and fell with a musical plash +into a little rocky basin full of clear water; and all around it in the +damp soil grew mosses and ferns of luxuriant size. It was just such a +spot as the old poets used to write about--cool, and shaded from the +heat and glare of the sun; but, instead of there being wood-nymphs and +satyrs in the little dell, there was nothing but the three young +visitors, and plenty of toads and frogs which crawled and hopped away as +fast as ever they could. + +"Oh, what a pretty place!" said Fred; "do let's stop here. Look, look," +he exclaimed, "what's that?" as, like a streak of blue light, a bird +with rapid flight came down the dell, perched upon a bare twig just long +enough for the boys to see his bright colours, and then, seeing himself +watched, darted away again. + +"That's a kingfisher," said Philip. "He's got a nest here, somewhere, I +know. Let's look, for we must have some of the eggs, if we can. +Perhaps the hen-bird is sitting somewhere close by." + +The boys then set to work searching the bushes of the little rivulet +that flowed from the basin, and no doubt their search would have been in +vain, but for the timid hen-bird, who flew out from the hole where, sure +enough, she was sitting, and betrayed the place in which her nest had +been made. + +It was a hole in the overhanging bank, and Harry had little difficulty +in thrusting his hand in and drawing out three eggs, which he carefully +deposited in his pocket. + +They then followed the course of the rivulet for about a quarter of a +mile to where it emptied itself into the tarn or little lake of which +Harry had spoken. It was indeed a dark tarn, with water looking almost +black from its depth, which was said to be enormous, and here some +gigantic eels were supposed to dwell, though nobody had ever caught, +nobody had ever seen, and nobody ever heard of any being either seen or +caught; but still eels of a mighty size were said to be in the tarn, and +the reason for their not being caught was supposed to be the depth. As +they came up to the lake, Dick ran on first and dashed into the reeds at +the side, splashing and paddling about, and here and there taking to +swimming. Just as he entered one great tuft of green reeds, rushes, and +withes, there was an extra amount of splashing, and away flew, or rather +ran along the surface of the water, a moorhen, with her thin attenuated +toes just paddling the surface. + +"Hooray," said Harry, calling Dick off, "here's a nest; moorhen's eggs, +boys, moorhen's eggs!" and off he started to reach the nest; but here +Master Harry was as badly off as when in the cedar-tree at home, for the +moorhen had evidently intended to keep human visitors away, and Harry +found that the coveted eggs, if any, were certainly not upon _terra +firma_. Every step the lad took showed more plainly how treacherous was +the surface round the tarn; for it was entirely composed of bog-moss-- +that pretty moss that turns of a creamy white, tinged with pink or +salmon colour, when dried--and soon Master Harry could only progress by +stepping daintily upon the little bunches of heath that grew amidst it, +or upon the occasional tufts of last year's dead reeds and rushes. But, +light as the boy was, he soon found this mode of progression would not +do, for, making a bound on to what looked a particularly dry spot, in he +went up to his knees in the soft bog, and it was only with great +difficulty that he scrambled out again to where his brother and Fred +stood laughing and cheering him. + +"I don't care," said Harry, shaking himself like a dog; "I don't mind +being wet, and, now I am wet, I mean to have the eggs." + +"No, don't," said Fred, "you'll sink in." + +"No, I shan't," said Harry; "I mean to make a corduroy-road, like they +do over the swamps in America, that we read about." + +"Ah, that will be capital," said Philip; "come on." + +And so the lads set to work, and in amongst the trees close by they soon +found a large dead branch, and laid it down across the first soft place, +and they very soon would have had a firm pathway to the moorhen's nest, +but for the simple reason that they were not provided with woodcutter's +axes, ropes, etc; the consequence was, that they could find no more wood +fit for the purpose, and Harry's corduroy-road was composed only of one +cord. + +"Oh," said Philip, "don't I wish we had a lot of the faggots out of the +stack-yard." + +"Let's fetch some," said Fred, which would have been a capital plan, +only the faggots would have been rather awkward things to carry through +the thick underwood; and, besides, they could only have carried one +each, and home was now about four miles off, while they would have +wanted at least twenty. + +"What a jolly bother!" said Philip. "Why don't you go round the other +side, Harry, and swim?" + +"You go," said Harry: "I'd go, if it wasn't for the eels, and the water +being so deep; I wouldn't mind, if it was only eight or nine feet, but +they say it's hundreds of feet to the bottom." + +But Philip did not feel disposed to go, and Fred could not swim, so, to +their great disappointment, they were obliged to leave the moorhen's +nest,--with at least a dozen eggs in, so Harry said; but, as he had been +very little nearer to the receptacle than his brother and cousin, this +statement was rather of a doubtful nature; still, as the others had not +been so near, they did not feel themselves justified in contradicting, +neither did they wish to, so the party reluctantly left the much-coveted +treasure, the two wet members of the party--namely, Dick and Harry-- +leading the way further into the wood. + +And now there were so many objects to take attention, that the professed +purpose of the trip was quite forgotten, till Harry by chance spied a +woodpecker just entering a hole in a hollow tree, and then called his +companions' attention to the fact. To scale the tree was the work of a +very few minutes, and, to Harry's intense delight, he found the hole +sufficiently large to admit his hand and arm, and this time he was +successful, for he drew forth with great care, one at a time, three +woodpecker's eggs, which he placed its his cap, and then descended. + +So far the trip had been most successful, for they had obtained the eggs +generally reckoned as scarce in most parts of the country, from the +secluded habits of the birds; and now the lads turned their attention to +find the nest of a turtle-dove. The part of the wood they were in was +very thick and full of underwood, a large proportion of which consisted +of hazel stubs so dense that, almost before they were aware of it, Fred +and Philip were separated from Harry and Dick; and when they did miss +them, and called out, a faint and distant "Halloo!" was the response. + +"Never mind," said Philip, "I'm tired. Let's sit down here and let him +come to us." + +Saying which he took his seat upon the mossy trunk of an old fallen +tree, an example which Fred was not long in following; and there they +waited, enjoying the delicious sensation of rest felt in a shady spot +after a long, toilsome walk, and thinking very little about poor Harry. + +"What a while Harry is," said Fred at last; "isn't he coming?" + +"Oh, yes; he'll be here presently," said Philip; "he'll be sure to find +us." + +After a few minutes' pause, "What's that?" said Fred, pointing to some +rustling and moving leaves close by the opening where they sat. + +"Hush," said Philip; "don't move; it's a stoat or a weasel. You'll see +him directly;" and in a moment after a long thin body came creeping out +from the herbage. But it was neither weasel nor stoat, but a very large +snake, which came right across the open space they were in--making Fred +turn quite pale, for his imagination immediately whispered to him of +poison fangs, rattlesnakes, cobras, and all sorts of venomous brutes. +But the snake had no idea of touching the intruders on the silence of +the forest, but made directly for a spot upon the other side of the +opening, which he would soon have reached if it had depended upon Fred; +but Philip possessed the animosity of his race against the serpent +tribe, so caught up a rough branch that he had previously broken from a +tree and slightly trimmed with his knife, and rushed after the +retreating snake. + +The poor thing struggled hard for its life and liberty, but in spite of +its struggles and menacing attitude, Philip struck at it boldly with his +stick and soon rendered his adversary _hors de combat_, when the victor +dragged his prize to his companion, and displayed to his wondering gaze +a snake upwards of a yard long, and very thick. Philip then secured his +trophy by slipping a noose of whipcord over its head, and tying it to +his stick. + +At last, time slipped by and no Harry made his appearance, while plenty +of indications showed that evening was fast closing in: moths began to +flutter about the different leaves; every now and then, too, came the +low evening drowsy hum of the cockchafer, while Fred gave a regular jump +when a gigantic stag-beetle stuck him right in the cheek and then fell +crawling about in his lap. + +"Ouf!" said Fred, "take the beast off. Is it poisonous?" + +Philip laughed heartily at his cousin, as he assured him to the +contrary; but the beetle saved him the trouble of brushing his horny +body away by making a fresh flight, and disappearing over the trees. + +"Come on," said Philip, "let's go." + +"But how about Harry?" said Fred. + +"Oh, we'll go and find him," and so the lads pushed right ahead as they +thought, and in the direction in which Harry's voice was last heard; but +they soon grew bewildered, and at last stood gazing disconsolately at +one another, and then, as is stated at the beginning of this chapter, +"Whoo-oo-oo-oop!" sang out Philip. + +"Hoop--hoop--hoop!" shouted Fred as loudly as he could, and then, +feeling the loneliness oppress him more than he could bear, he sat down +on a stump, and seemed half disposed to cry. + +"Oh, I say," said Philip, who was nearly as bad, "don't look like that, +or we shall never get out of the wood. Don't you know what a many times +Robert Bruce tried before he got his kingdom? Let's try again; the wood +is not so very big, and we must come out somewhere." + +"Do you think we ever shall get out again?" said Fred. + +"Oh, of course we shall," said Philip, "and there ain't no wild beasts +or anything of that kind, so come on and let's start." + +And start they did--creeping through some bushes, pushing others aside, +but somehow or another getting flogged by the returning twigs, and +scratched by the brambles in a way they had not suffered in the morning. +Once Fred tripped over a stump and fell heavily down, where he lay +crying silently, but without trying to get up again; and it was only by +Philip dragging at him that he could be got upon his legs. Duskier grew +the wood, till under the big trees it was quite dark; but Philip pressed +manfully on, though he felt completely bewildered; still his good sense +told him that they must eventually find an outlet. + +On and on they went, slowly and toilsomely, and still nothing but trees +and bushes, looking gloomy and shadowy--very different to the appearance +presented in the afternoon when the sun shone upon them, sending a +checkery shade amongst the waving grass; and at last Philip felt his +heart sink within him at the hopelessness of his task. All at once a +happy thought struck the boy as they stood in a more open space, where +they could see the stars shining down brightly upon them. + +"I say, Fred," he said, "hasn't your papa ever told you about how the +people used to guide their ships by the stars." + +"No," said Fred moodily, "but I have heard they used to." + +"Well" said Philip, "let's see if we can't get out that way. I think we +can. I know which is the North-pole star, because Papa showed them all +to us; and there it is," said the boy, joyfully, "That's the north, and +right hand will be west, and left hand east; no, it won't, it will be +right hand east, and left hand west. That's right, isn't it?" + +"Yes, I dare say it is," said Fred, dolefully. + +"Well, when we are at home the wood lies in the west, because the sun +sets behind it in the evening, so we must travel to the east, and then +we shall be going towards home; and we have been going south, because I +was looking that way, and had to turn round to find the Pole Star. Come +on, Fred, we'll soon be home now." + +"Oh, dear," said Fred, "let's lie down and go to sleep; I've got such a +blister on my toe." + +"No, come on," said the other, "for poor Mamma will be so frightened." + +"Oh, and won't Uncle be cross?" said Fred. + +This last remark almost frightened Philip out of his hurry to get home, +for he directly felt disposed to put off the evil--the scolding that he +expected to receive; but the knowledge that it would be making bad +worse, if he loitered now, made him summon up the determination to +proceed; and it required no little determination, for, since they had +been star-gazing, their joints had grown stiff; aches and pains had come +upon them; and they both would have given anything to have gone to sleep +where they were. + +"Oh, do come on," said Philip at last, roughly shaking Fred. "It ain't +far now; for I remember that the wood is very long, but not very broad +from east to west, so if we keep walking east we shall soon get out." + +So onward they pressed again, very slowly and laboriously, for about +another half-hour, and then Philip stumbled and fell, for a spiteful +bramble had caught him by the foot, and the poor boy could hold up no +longer; he had cheered his cousin on in every way he could, and taken +the lead throughout, though his heart was sinking, and he knew the +trouble all proceeded from their own folly; but though he kept down his +faint-heartedness and tried manfully to put a bold face on the matter, +he was beaten, thoroughly beaten, at last, and lay upon the dewy grass, +completely jaded, and without energy or spirit to make another attempt, +while Fred, seeing his cousin's heart fail, broke down as well. + +But all at once Philip's eyes brightened, and he started up as though +touched by the wire of an electrical machine. + +"Bow-wow-wow; wuph, wuph, wuph!" sounded upon the clear night air. + +"Trill--lill--lill--lill--chug--chug--chug--chug--chug!" rang out the +sweet notes of a nightingale close by; and then again-- + +"Bow-wow-wow; wuph, wuph, wuph!" from a dog apparently not far off. + +"Come on," said Philip again, with fresh energy; and casting one glance +up at the stars, he pushed forward due east for about a dozen yards with +Fred close behind him, and then, forcing his way through a dense hazel +stub, he made a step forward, slipped, and went down crash into a deep +ditch. But he did not stop in despair this time, although scratched and +bruised, for he was out of the wood, and leaping up he stood upon the +green turf by the side of the white chalky road. + +"Jump, Fred," he exclaimed, "right over the ditch." + +Fred jumped; but instead of jumping right over he jumped right in, and +had to be helped out by Philip; but he shared in his companion's renewed +spirit, and now stood with him in the dusty road looking about. + +"Bow-wow-wow; wuph, wuph!" barked the dog again. + +"Why, I know where we are," said Philip; "that's Mr Benson's farm, and +we are six miles away from home. Never mind; let's go and tell Mrs +Benson, I know she will let us rest a little while." + +Fred was willing enough, and in a minute or two they stood under the +porch of the old farm-house, with the dewy roses bending over them as +they rapped at the door; while all the time the dog in the yard rattled +his chain, and made a terrible disturbance. + +"If you please, Mrs Benson," said Philip, as the door opened and a +comely, motherly young face appeared; "if you please, Mrs Benson, we +lost our way in the wood--and--and--and--and oh, dear! oh, dear; what +shall I do!" sobbed poor Philip, now out of his peril but thoroughly +beaten, "what shall I do?" and then he sobbed and cried as though his +heart would break, Fred helping him him to the best of his ability. + +"Why, thee poor dear bairns!" said Mrs Benson; "come in, and sit thee +down.--Why, one of 'em's Squire Inglis's Philip, John," she continued to +her husband, "and here they be ammost bet out." + +Mrs Benson could talk, but she could act as well, and she soon had the +two lads upon the snug "keeping-room" sofa. + +"Bless thou, my poor bairns!" she exclaimed; and then in a breath to her +husband. "Thou'dst better send Tom over to the Grange, and tell them +where the poor things are, or they'll be frightened to death; and let +him tell Mrs Inglis well drive them over as we go to market in the +morning." + +So off packed Mr Benson to send the messenger, while his wife bustled +the great red-armed maid about; and then with warm water and towels +bathed the boys' faces and hands, and brushed their hairs, as though she +had done it every day since they were babies; while during all this time +the red-armed maid had spread a cloth on one end of the table and +tea-things on the other, while Farmer Benson, who had been taking his +evening pipe and hot gin and water when the boys knocked at the door, +now insisted upon their each taking a sip or two out of his glass. +Directly after there was a steaming hot cup of tea before each visitor, +with plenty of rich yellow cream in it, while Mrs Benson cut from a +sweet-scented light-brown-crusted home-baked loaf slices which were as +though made of honeycomb, and which she gilded over with the bright +golden butter from her own snowy churn. Mr Benson; too, he could not +be idle, so he cut two great wedges out of a raised pork pie, and placed +in the boys' plates--pie that looked all of a rich marble jelly, veined +with snow-white fat, and so tempting after some hours' ramble in the +woods. + +"I ham glad thou came, bairns," said Mrs Benson, kissing her visitors +in the most motherly way imaginable. + +"Ay, lads, and so am I; but there, doan't take on. Yeat, lads, yeat, +and then ye'll soon be all right again." + +And the boys choked down their sobs, and did "yeat" in a way that made +their worthy host and hostess smile with pleasure, as well as to see the +faces that a few minutes before looked so worn, pale, and wretched, +brightening up under the treatment their complaint was receiving. + +All at once Philip came to a stand-still, and said, "I wonder where +Harry is?" + +"What! was he out with thee?" said the farmer and his wife. + +"Yes," said Philip, "and he had got Dick with him." + +"Ah!" said the farmer, "I don't know Dick. Who's he?" + +"Why, our rough dog," said Philip; "the ratter." + +"Oh, ah, ha!" said the farmer; "so he had Dick with him, had he?" + +"Yes," said Philip, mournfully, and with another great sob creeping up +his throat. + +"Theer, theer," said Mr Benson, "doan't do that, bairn. He's safe +enough if he's got that dog wi' him; he'd be sewer to find the way out +o' the wood." + +This seemed to act as a kind of comfort to Philip, who resumed his meal, +but only to find out a new trouble directly after. "Where's my snake?" +he exclaimed, jumping up, and looking at the end of the rough stick he +had brought in with him. But nobody knew, so nobody replied to his +question; the snake was gone, for it had not been even remembered all +through the time of their bewilderment, and now that it was brought to +mind there was not even a trace of the whipcord. + +"Now, my dears," said Mrs Benson, seeing that the lads had finished +their meal,--"now, my dears, I have had clean sheets put on the best +bed, so, if I was you, I should go and have a good rest." + +But Mrs Benson's motherly ideas were put to the rout by the sound of +wheels and directly after a horse was pulled up at the gate. Some one +rapped at the door, and, upon its being opened, in rushed Dick, closely +followed by Mr Inglis, Harry, and Mr Benson's lad, Tom, who had not +gone far upon the road before he met the above party in search of the +lost ones. They had been making inquiries all down the road at every +cottage they passed, and it was during one of these stoppages that Tom +recognised Mr Inglis's voice, and brought him on to the farm. + +The first act of Dick on entering the room was to leap upon Philip and +Fred, and bark as loudly as he could--scampering round the place, and at +last misbehaving so much that he had to be turned out, to stay outside +the door, howling, till his master was ready to start again. + +Harry, who looked a perfect scarecrow, grinned with delight upon seeing +his lost companions found, while Mr Inglis warmly thanked the farmer +and his wife for their hospitality, and then, refraining from uttering +any words of blame, hurried the lads into the four-wheeled chaise, so as +to hasten home to quiet the alarm of Mrs Inglis, who was, of course, in +a state of great anxiety. + +"Good-byes" were said, and promises made to go and see Mrs Benson +again, and then off trotted the horse, and round spun the wheels; while +Dick every now and then gave a short bark, evidently of pleasure at +being allowed to ride. As for Philip and Fred, they were both soon fast +asleep, with their heads nodding and rolling about enough to shake them +off. + +At last the Grange was reached, Mrs Inglis's fears set at rest, and, +half-asleep, all three boys were soon up in their bedrooms, and the next +morning, when the eight o'clock bell rang, more soundly asleep than +ever, so that they had to be shaken and shouted at to make them get up, +which they did at last, yawning fearfully, and feeling so stiff, sore, +and aching, that they could scarcely move. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +A SHORT SCOLDING. + +Soon after breakfast on the morning after the wander in Beechy Wood, Mr +Inglis sent for his sons and Fred to come to the library, into which +room they all walked, after having almost a scuffle outside the door to +decide who should be the first to enter, the scuffle resulting in Fred +being made the advance-guard, and pushed in before his cousins; Harry, +being the most active, securing to himself the last place. The boys +were in a dreadful fidget: they had done wrong, and they knew it well, +and therefore felt prepared to receive a terrible scolding; but the +anticipation proved worse than the punishment itself, for Mr Inglis +looked up smiling when they entered, and seeing Harry's scheming to get +last, called him at once to the front, and said-- + +"Now, boys, you see that if you had behaved rightly yesterday all that +trouble and inconvenience would have been spared to us all. I cannot +say that you acted in direct disobedience to what you were told, for you +had no commands; but you all well knew that you had no right to go to +Beechy Wood, which is of course proved by your hiding your intentions +from Mamma. But, there, I am not going to scold, for you have all been +well punished; but, my boys, I want you to promise me one thing, and +that is, that full confidence shall always exist between us. I want my +boys to grow up men of honour--Englishmen whose word and every action +can be looked upon as the very essence of truth and openness. I want +you to love, and not to fear me; and, there now, that's all over, we +must not make Fred miserable, so we will dine early, and start this +afternoon for a couple of hours' fishing; so bustle about, boys, and get +all the baits and tackle ready." + +But they could not bustle just then, for-- + +But, there, I won't say anything about it, for the library door was +shut, and of course I could only be supposed to know what took place +from seeing some eyes looking rather red, and hearing noses blown rather +loudly, besides knowing that all three boys wanted dry pocket +handkerchiefs, when at last they did come out of the library, Mr Inglis +shaking hands with them as he closed the door. + +As they stood upon the mat outside, "I say," said Harry, with a great +gulp something like a sob, "I say, ain't he a jolly father?" + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +WHICH IS RATHER FISHY. + +That very same afternoon, Dusty Bob was in the mill, looking dustier +than ever, and trying, as he sat upon a sack of corn that had come to be +ground, to spell out the contents of the county paper; but he did not +get on very fast, for the white or papery part had, through ill-usage, +turned very black, and the black or printed part, by means of the fine +flour dust, turned very white. Joining to this the fact that Bob was, +as he expressed it, "no skollard," it may easily be judged that he did +not arrive at very correct ideas respecting the news of the day, or +rather of the day a month ago; for Dusty Bob did not indulge in the +luxury of new news, but bought it fifth, sixth, or seventh hand, not +disdaining sometimes the piece which had come from the grocer's shop +wrapping up the pound of salt. The mill was not quite so noisy this +afternoon as upon the last occasion when we were all here together, for +the flood had gone down, and there was no rush and hurried turmoil from +the portion of the river passing down by the waste-water, while the mill +wheels turned slowly and steadily round as a sheet of crystal clearness +flowed upon them from the great dam. + +"Ah, aw, yaw--yaw, aw," said Bob, bursting out into such a yawn that his +not very handsome face looked as if it had been cut in two. "Aw, yaw, +aw, aw, heigho--ha, ha--hum." + +"Knock, knock; rap, rap, rap." + +"Hah! more corn; more corn; more corn. Tain't no use to bring't, a bit; +for we have more noo than we've got watter for; and then yow'll come +grummle, grummle, grummle, because 'tisn't doone; sow yow'd betther +tak't somewheres else." + +"Knock, knock; rap, rap, rap," came the summons at the gate again; and +this time, instead of muttering and "grumbling" to himself, Dusty Bob +got up and went to see who was there. + +"Sarvant, sir," said Bob, as he saw who it was, and then burst out into +a grin; for behind Squire Inglis stood his visitors of a few days +before, and Bob was luxuriating in the recollection of how he had +restored the lost basket of fish. + +"Well, Bob," said Mr Inglis, entering the mill, followed by the three +boys, each armed with a fishing-rod and basket, big enough apparently to +hold a great many more fish than they would catch that afternoon; "Well, +Bob," said Mr Inglis, "how are you off for fish?" + +"Heaps on 'em, sir, down below in the pool; but I'm 'feard they weant +feed, for it's rather a bad time. Thou'd best fish off the right bank +just over the stream from number one wheel. There be plenty o' fishing, +for this mornin', only, when the mill was stopped for half-an-hour, the +great fat chub lay a-top of the water as long as your arm ammost; but +I'm most 'feard that the roach weant look at a bait." + +Bob then led the way through the mill, and the fishing-party soon stood +on the long, narrow, tree-o'ershadowed strip of land that separated the +mill tail from the waste-water; and here, where the stream ran swiftly +and deeply, did the party prepare to secure some of the finny treasures. + +Rods were quickly put together; lines securely fixed; and best new gut +hooks added. Then the depth was plumbed; the floats adjusted and +shotted to the correct "cock;" and then hooks baited, and ground-bait of +bran and clay and rice thrown upon the mill apron, to dissolve slowly +and spread all over the pool. Lastly, lines are thrown in, and silence +proclaimed, so that the first nibbles might be duly attended to. + +In every place where there are fish one is sure to hear of a mighty jack +that lies out in some particular part, and is occasionally seen in the +early morning, or basking in the mid-day sun, looking almost as big as a +man,--in fact, so big that nobody could catch him, one that ever so many +fishermen had had hold of, but which always broke away and escaped; and +somehow or other, although this mighty fellow must have swallowed and +got stuck in his mouth and gills enough hooks, and trailing away from +him enough line, to stock a small shop, yet, leave alone being caught, +he never even dies, and floats wrong way up on the top of the water. +Well, this was the case here: Bob had seen a pike so big that no mortal +rod and line could ever bear it; he could tell of somewhere about ten or +a dozen fishermen who had once had hold of him, so that Mr Jack must +have thought no more of the sharpest barbed hooks than he would of so +many quill toothpicks. + +"Lord, sir," said Bob, "whoy doan't thee trowl for the big jack? I see +him this morning ligging a-top of the waiter like a big log o' wood." + +"Indeed, Bob; well, I'll try for a few chub first, and then, if +unsuccessful, see what I can do in the pike way." + +So Mr Inglis fished very patiently and quietly for some time, and tried +two or three different kinds of bait to tempt the chubby fellows; but +they would not be tempted, until at last a small gudgeon was placed on +the hook, one which Fred had caught, being the first fish taken that +afternoon, for Bob had turned out a very respectable prophet, and the +boys were having very poor sport indeed. + +And now Mr Inglis tried in all the most likely spots for a chub with +his live-bait, and at last one took it, was struck, and then darted away +swift as an arrow from a bow--right, left, straight ahead, through the +smooth water, and off again where the stream ran swiftest; but it was of +no avail; the line that he had run out was wound up, and the fine fellow +drawn inshore so closely that Harry could put the landing-net under him, +and then, with a tremendous burst of impotent flapping and splashing, a +great chub about two pounds and a half weight was laid upon the grass, +with his broad scales glistening in the sun. + +"That's a napper," said Bob. + +"Oh--oh--oh--oh!" burst in chorus from the boys--a shout of pleasure +nearly turned into a groan, for Philip, in lifting the fish to put him +in the basket, felt it give a great spring, which so startled him that +he dropped it, so there it lay close to the edge of the wood embankment, +and a single flap of his tail would have borne him away; but time enough +was not allowed, for Harry pounced upon him like a cat after a mouse, +and, in spite of his slimy jacket, he was soon safely shut down in one +of the baskets. + +The boys kept on with indifferent success--only securing a few small +roach and gudgeon; and Mr Inglis, too, seemed as though he would have +no further good fortune, for the chub appeared to have turned sulky +because their big companion was taken away, and would not even smell the +gudgeon. At last, however, Mr Inglis made a cast, and the little +bait-fish fell lightly just beneath a bush close under the bank; when +there was a rush through the water, and a swirling that took everybody's +attention, and then, as Mr Inglis swiftly drew out the line from off +his reel, away it glided through the rings of the rod, yard after yard-- +yard after yard--swifter and swifter--as though the fish that had taken +the gudgeon meant to run the line all out; and sure enough it did the +whole fifty yards; and Mr Inglis was reaching out his rod as far as he +could stretch his hand, so as to avoid checking the fish, if possible, +and so losing it, when the line suddenly grew slack. There all eyes +were strained towards the spot where the large tell-tale cork-float +slowly rose to the surface, and its white top could be seen stationary +right on the far side of the mill-pool. What little slack line there +was, Mr Inglis now wound in, and telling Harry to be ready with the +landing-net, he waited patiently for a few minutes to give the fish time +to gorge his prey, though, from the way in which the float had run to +the surface, he was afraid that the fish had left his bait. At last, +Mr Inglis gathered the line up in his hand, and gave a sharp twist of +his wrist, and all eyes were bent upon the spot to witness the struggle; +but alas! there was no resistance. The great float glided easily over +the water, and then Mr Inglis began to wind in, for it was evident that +the pike had merely taken the bait because he could not bear to see it +pass him--not because he was hungry--and then, after playing with it, +let it go again. + +"Never mind, boys," said the Squire, "better success next time." + +The words, however, were hardly out of his mouth, when there was a +tremendous swirl and rush again in the water; and away with a bob--bob-- +bob--went the float, then under water, and out of sight once more. + +There was another pause of five minutes, and then again Mr Inglis drew +in what slack line there was very carefully, waited another minute, +when, the float again rose to the surface, but only to move off in +another direction, for it was evident that the pike had this time well +taken the bait. + +And now followed moments of interest, as the Squire struck the fish, and +then gave him line, for with one flick of his great tail he went across +the pool in a fresh direction, luckily making a great deal of slack line +as he did so. The battle now began in real earnest, for every time the +pike felt the line tightened away he darted, first in one direction, and +then in another, while once he came close in to where his tormentor was +standing, so that a great deal of the running line was wound in; but, +the moment after, he started off with a swifter rush than ever right +across the pool, making the line sing and the winch spin furiously, as +the thin cord ran through the rings as it was reeled off. Mr Inglis +had to slightly check the line so as to retard his progress, or else +most probably the cord would have been snapped; but no sooner did the +fish find that he was held than he made a leap of fully a yard right out +of the water, displaying to the lookers-on his great gold and green +sides, and looking, in the momentary glance that was afforded, almost a +yard long. + +In he dashed again, full of fury, and round and round, and backwards and +forwards, he was played; at one time sweeping right up to the mill +wheels, and nearly getting the line entangled in the piles; then making +a mighty spurt to gain the river where the weeds grew so thickly; but he +got no farther than the sandy bar at the mouth of the pool, where he had +to turn on one side to swim in the shallows, for here he was checked +again, and brought back almost unresisting into the deep water, his +master's rod bending like a cart-whip as the fish was dragged back. And +so for nearly half an hour did the battle continue, the fish being +gently brought back after every dash he made, for Mr Inglis dared not +attempt to land the monster till he was thoroughly exhausted; and well +was it that the line was one of the newest and strongest, or the slight +silk cord would never have borne the strain that was put upon it... But +it held good, and now the exhausted fish seemed to make its last effort +to escape; and it was very nearly a successful one, for, after darting +about ten yards almost to the bottom of the pool, Mr Inglis found that +there was some extra resistance, and that the line was entangled. + +Had this happened earlier in the struggle, the pike must have been lost, +for the line would have snapped; but now the fish had fought out his +fight, and scarcely attempted to move, while Dusty Bob, who had been +watching the proceedings with the most intense interest, went to the +mill-yard and fetched the great rake he used to clear the weeds away +with, and by means of a little raking he got hold of the obstruction, +which upon being drawn to the surface proved to be an old branch, and +round a rugged part the line was just hitched. A sharp blow from the +rake snapped the bough in two, and the line was again at liberty, the +great fish being drawn to the side at the mouth of the pool, where the +water was only a few inches deep, and landed amidst a burst of cheers +from the delighted boys, while even Bob gave a loud "Hooray," though he +seemed rather sorry than otherwise that the water should lose so fine a +fish; but the "Hooray" was brought forth by the thoughts of a +prospective shilling which Mr Inglis would most likely give him, and +then perhaps he would have to carry the fish home as well, and get some +bread and cheese and ale up at the house. + +So "Hooray," said Dusty Bob, with a most hypocritical countenance; and +"Hooray--ay--ay--ay--ay--ay," cheered the boys again; and there were no +end of epithets lavished upon the fish, such as "Beauty", "Monster," +"Jolly one." etc, etc, for the admiration of the party seemed boundless. + +Bob then had to carry the pike into the mill, where it was put into the +flour-scales and weighed, and found to balance nineteen pounds and a +half in the weight-scale--an announcement which was received with +renewed cheers; and upon measurement he was found to be two feet six +inches long; while of all the mouths that ever pike had, his seemed the +widest and fullest of long hooked teeth--projecting backwards, so as to +render it impossible for a fish to escape out of his jaws if once he +caught hold of it. + +This brought the fishing to a conclusion for that afternoon; and so the +lines were wound up, rods disjointed and placed in their bags, and all +the rest of the angling paraphernalia collected into the baskets, while +one was expressly devoted to the fish. But now a new difficulty arose-- +the chub could be got into the basket, but how about a pike two feet six +inches long? Then, too, Bob wanted to carry the pike right up to the +house--evidently meaning to make a show of it by the way, so as to be +asked to have a glass of beer or two for his trouble. But this was an +honour that Bob was not to have, for the boys were almost squabbling as +to who should have the duty. Fred, however, soon backed out, for while +touching the pike, and feeling its weight, it bent itself like a bow, +and then gave such a spring that he jumped away as thou eh be had been +shot, and directly waived all claims to the honour of carriage, which +now lay between Harry and Philip, who at last grew so warm on the +subject, that one had hold of the head and the other the tail, the +latter place of vantage being occupied by Harry, and a matter of French +and English tugging was about to commence when Mr Inglis interposed, +and settled the matter by arranging that Philip should carry the trophy +half-way, and Harry the remainder: which decision had hardly been +arrived at, when Master Harry must try whether the pike would bite; +which he did by holding the gasping mouth to the tail of Dusty Bob's +coat. + +Whether sensible that it was biting or no, the fish's mouth closed upon +the floury cloth, and held there with such tenacity that the piece had +to be cut out--so firmly were the jagged and hooked teeth inserted in +the woolly fabric. + +This, of course, produced a scolding for Master Harry for his +mischievous trick, and a piece of coin for Bob to get the hole repaired; +and then the party returned in triumph to tea--the boys as proud of +their acquisition as any Roman conqueror who led his treasure-burdened +slave through the streets of the city of Romulus. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +A SAD AFFAIR. + +"Oh do come in, Fred!" said Harry, blowing and splashing about in the +water like a small whale, on the day following the fishing excursion. +The lads were down by the side of the river, in a spot called Withy +Nook--a green snug place entirely sheltered from all observation--a spot +with the emerald grass sloping down to where the river ran by, sparkling +and dancing in the golden sunlight, flashing back the bright rays from +the tiny wavelets, and making the golden waterlilies rise and fall as +they rode upon the bright surface. The water was so limpid that the +sand and clean washed pebbles could be easily seen at the bottom, except +when the water was put in a state of turmoil by the antics of the two +boys who were bathing. + +"Oh do come in, Fred!" echoed Philip; "it isn't a bit cold, and not +deep; and you ought to learn to float and swim." + +"Oh come on," said Harry again. + +Fred felt that he would like to go in and have a dip, for the water +looked so cool and bright and clear; but there was a certain amount of +timidity to be got over; he had never been in anything but a bath in his +life, and plunging at once into a river was a novel feat that he could +hardly summon courage to attempt. But at last the persuasions of his +cousins had the desired effect, and Fred quickly undressed, and then +stood upon the bank, afraid to take his first dip; but again were the +persuasions of his cousins brought into play, and the London boy took +his first step into the water, and then made a half slip, so that he +came down sideways and went right under the surface, but regained his +feet, with the water singing and rumbling in his ears, his eyes close +shut, and the drops streaming down him as fast as they could run. + +"Oh--ah--ah," said Fred, gasping. + +"Haw--haw--haw!" burst from Harry, as he laughed heartily at his cousin. + +"Don't grin like that, Hal," said Philip, helping Fred out of his +difficulty, and steadying him as he stood breast high in the water, +rubbing his eyes, and trying to get rid of the feeling of bewilderment +that had come over him upon his sudden immersion. + +"Oh, isn't it queer?" said Fred, as soon as he had finished gasping, and +spitting out the water he had in his mouth. + +"Not a bit of it," said Harry, "only you were in such a hurry to get +under the water. Now, then, try and swim: see me go dog's paddle," and +then the young dog set to paddling away as though he had lived in the +water half his lifetime. "Hold his chin up, Phil, and he'll soon do +it." + +But Fred did not want to have his chin held up, nor yet to be touched; +he preferred to wade gently about in the clear water by himself, while +his cousins swam backwards and forwards across the river--here not +twenty yards broad. + +"Make haste and learn to swim, Fred, it's so easy," said Harry, "and +such capital fun. Look here; see me dive." And then, turning heels +upwards in the water, he went down out of sight, to Fred's great horror, +but came up again directly, and then floated upon his back, swam +sideways, and did other feats that seemed to Fred little short of +wonders--so easily and deftly were they performed. + +"Now then, Phil," said Harry, "I'll race you up to the pollard, and back +to Fred. Come on!" + +Philip did "come on," and the boys swam up stream towards the willow +pollard which overhung the river about fifty yards off. Away they went, +working away manfully, for it was hard work against the running water. +Sometimes Philip got a little ahead, and sometimes it was Harry; but +Philip was first when they reached the pollard-tree, and he kept ahead, +too, as they came easily back down stream towards the spot from whence +they started. + +"Hallo!" puffed out Harry, all at once, "where's Fred?" + +"Got out," gasped Philip, for he was getting out of breath with his +exertions. + +"No, he hasn't; I can't see him," said Harry, getting excited. "He's +got out of his depth and gone down stream! Oh, dear! oh, dear! what +shall we do?" + +Just then Philip caught sight of something white slowly washing over the +shallows lower down the stream, and he called his brother's attention to +it. "It's Fred," said Harry, swimming as hard as he could. "Come on." +Saying which he dashed out of the water and ran along the bank till he +came opposite the place, where sure enough poor Fred was slowly drifting +over the shallow pebbly-bottomed stream; and then both lads dashed in +and, by using great efforts, dragged their cousin inshore, and got him +upon the bank. + +"Put your trousers and jacket on, and run for Papa, Harry," cried +Philip, as he gazed upon the inanimate countenance of Fred, and tried in +vain to open the eyes which kept so obstinately closed. + +Harry was not long in obeying his brother's hint, and in less than ten +minutes Mr Inglis, with a couple of the farm-labourers carrying +blankets, arrived upon the spot. Very little was said, but in a few +minutes more poor Fred was carried off to the Grange; while his cousins +stopped behind, shivering with cold and fear, to finish dressing +themselves. + +Upon reaching home they found the house in the greatest confusion; one +servant was watching at the front door so as to give the earliest notice +of the doctor's coming, for a man had been sent for him at full gallop; +another was running backwards and forwards from the kitchen carrying hot +blankets; while Mr and Mrs Inglis were doing all that lay in their +power to restore animation; but all seemed as yet in vain, and when +Harry and Philip crept on tiptoe into the bedroom, they trembled at the +ghastly look their cousin wore. + +Poor Mrs Inglis seemed quite in despair, and would have ceased her +efforts but for the Squire, who warned her to persevere, saying that +people had been revived even after ill success for two hours or more; +and, apparently hopeless as the case seemed, he kept on himself moving +the body on to one side and back again with a regular motion, so as to +endeavour to promote artificial respiration. On the table was a number +of "The Life Boat," which contained full instructions for recovering the +apparently drowned; and to this Mr Inglis kept making references, and +giving his instructions accordingly. + +At length there was the distant sound of a horse's feet coming at a +gallop along the road; they soon came along the gravel drive, were heard +to stop, and then in came quickly, but with a step soft as that of a +cat, that awe-inspiring personage--the Doctor. He saw at a glance what +had been done, and nodded his satisfaction, then examined the pupil of +poor Fred's eye, felt his pulse, and listened at his chest; and +afterwards, drawing off his coat and kneeling by the bedside, continued +the efforts that Mr Inglis had so well commenced. + +An hour--a long, long hour--one with leaden seconds--slipped by during +which time not an effort was relaxed; though the faces of Mr and Mrs +Inglis betrayed the despair that had crept over them, while Harry and +Philip sobbed so that they had to be sent out of the room; when they +stifled the sobs as well as they could, and crept back to the door, +where they sat listening outside. + +All this time the Doctor's face had been as solid as a block of marble, +not a trace of any emotion--hopeful or despairing--appeared; he kept on +giving order after order, and worked till the perspiration stood in +great drops upon his brow; and still no sign of life. The tears coursed +silently down Mrs Inglis's face, and it was only by a great effort that +she could keep from sobbing. Glad would she have been to have left the +room, but a sense of duty forbade her, and she stayed, lending all the +assistance that lay in her power. + +All at once, the Doctor brightened up, and turning to the Squire said, +"Now, I'll have a glass of sherry and a biscuit." + +Mr Inglis saw nothing to cause the cheerful way in which the Doctor +spoke, but felt that he must have a good reason for hope, or he would +not have spoken so lightly. So, ringing the bell for the refreshment, +he leaned over the poor boy, and, as he did so, a faint, a very faint, +sigh escaped from his chest, and then there was a slight twitching of +his eyelids. + +"There," said the Doctor, wiping his forehead, and turning upon Mr and +Mrs Inglis with a delighted aspect,--"there, I don't believe another +medical man in the county would have persevered to that extent, and +saved the boy's life; but, there, all the credit belongs to Mr Inglis +for commencing the work so well." + +"No; it's not due to me. If it had not been for that book on the +table," said he, pointing to the little pamphlet, "I should not have +known how to proceed." + +"Ah, well," said the Doctor, "then we will say it was all due to the +Life Boat Institution." + +But all this while no efforts were relaxed, for, though symptoms of +revival were plainly to be seen, they were like the flickerings of the +wick of a lamp, liable at a moment to become extinct; but the endeavours +of those present supplied the needful oil, and by slow degrees the +cadaverous hue disappeared from Fred's face; his breathing became firmer +and more regular; and at last his eyes opened, staring vacantly at the +ceiling, and those bending over him; but, after another lapse of time, a +light seemed to be added to the vacant look, and, to the intense delight +of all, a smile came over his pale face as he recognised Mr and Mrs +Inglis. It was thought better that the lads should not come in at +present, so the joyful new was conveyed to them outside the door in a +whisper; and then off and away went Harry, followed by his brother, to +perform a kind of triumphal war-dance down in the dining-room, where he +could make a little noise without being overheard in the sick chamber. + +Not very long afterwards, the Doctor took his departure, promising to +return in the course of an hour or two; and then Mr and Mrs Inglis +came into the room where the boys were, and, announcing; that Fred was +in a calm sleep, with one of the maids watching by his side, they asked +how the poor fellow came to be so nearly drowned. + +This was a question that neither Harry nor Philip could answer; but they +told what they knew, and could only suppose that he had walked out of +his depth, when the swiftness of the current, and his own timidity, had +prevented him from regaining his footing. So that the full explanation +had to remain until Fred was in a condition to give it himself. + +Mr Inglis talked long and seriously to the boys; but he felt that he +could not blame them much, as bathing was an habitual thing with them in +the summer-time, and moreover a most healthy habit: joined to which, for +such young lads, both Harry and Philip were powerful swimmers. But the +act for which Mr Inglis blamed them was not for inducing their cousin +to bathe, but leaving him, ignorant as he was of the power of the +current, by himself. + +"I think, Mamma," said the Squire, at last, "we had better send poor +Fred home again. Here in a space of time of only two or three days has +he been lost in the wood; and, but for the blessing of God, he would +have this day been drowned." + +"Oh! pray--pray don't send him away, Papa," pleaded both the lads at +once. "We will be so careful for the future. And--and," said Harry, +breaking down as he spoke; "and--and--indeed, Papa, I wish it had been +me to-day sooner than poor Fred, for we do feel that we ought to take +care of him when he's a visitor; don't we, Philip? But I am such an +unlucky beggar; I'm always doing something wrong when I want to do +right, and it does make me so miserable, and so it did when I pitched +into Fred the first afternoon he was here, and I couldn't help it." + +"What's that?" said Mr Inglis; "pitched into Fred? What, have you two +been fighting?" + +Harry was in too great trouble to speak, so Philip narrated the little +skirmish, concluding with the loss of the poor ferret. + +Mr Inglis did not say any more upon the subject; but a smile passed +between him and Mrs Inglis, and then, shaking hands with his boys, they +all went on tiptoe up the stairs to have a look at Fred--Mr Inglis, in +spite of the events of the past few days, evidently of the opinion that +his boys were not so much worse than boys in general. + +Fred was fast asleep, breathing regularly; and the maid said he had not +moved; so he was left to his rest, strict injunctions being given that +Mrs Inglis should be called directly the invalid woke, or showed +symptoms of so doing. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +BUMPITTY BUMP.--THE WOPSES. + +For two or three days Fred remained very unwell, as might easily be +supposed from the shock he had received; but the boys spent the greater +part of the days with him reading or playing, and in the evenings came +Mr and Mrs Inglis to sit in his bedroom, when Mr Inglis told them +natural history anecdotes, or talked about the wondrous changes of +insects in so interesting a manner, that the little auditory heard him +with the most rapt attention. + +On the second evening, in answer to a question, Fred related how it was +he managed to be carried away by the stream. It appeared that it was +through a sudden fright; for, while wading about with the water up to +his armpits, he felt what he thought was a great fish touch him--but +which was more probably a piece of wood--and he was so startled and +alarmed with the idea that it might be a great pike, such as he had once +seen in the river, and also caught by Mr Inglis, that he rushed away +from the fancied peril, and, by mishap, this was done on the wrong side; +so that directly afterwards he was splashing and paddling in the water, +out of his depth, and with the stream bearing him away quite fast. He +could remember the water bubbling and thundering in his ears as he was +swept away; two or three great struggles to reach the side, and then it +seemed like going to sleep, and waking to find himself in his bed, with +three faces leaning over him, and everything else misty and bewildered. + +On the morning of the fourth day, Fred was up again and out with his +cousins before breakfast, getting their feet well soaked by the dewy +grass out in the cedar-field as they took it in turns to have a ride +upon the pony--one boy running by his side once up and down the field, +and holding the pony by his halter. He was a capital quiet fellow, was +old Dumpling, and put up with the tricks of his young masters as +good-naturedly as possibly, and, on the whole, rather seeming to join in +the fun, for he stood perfectly still by their side while they climbed +up the fence, and from thence on to his back, and then went along at a +jig-jog trot, just as they wished him. As for Harry and Philip, they +were well used to being upon his back; but when it came to Fred's turn, +he prepared to mount with considerable trepidation. + +It might almost have been thought that, after the last unpleasant +adventure, Fred would have been very diffident in joining in any of his +cousins' rather boisterous amusements; but he had a most wholesome dread +of being looked upon as a coward: the very idea of being despised by his +cousins rendered him ready to dare anything; so that, no matter what +they had pressed him to, he would most probably have attempted it, +however strongly his reason or inclination might have prompted him +otherwise; so, when it came to his turn, he followed the instructions of +his cousins, and made a sort of half leap or vault upon the pony's back; +but in so doing he overshot the mark, and went scrambling down, head +first, on the other side. The pony, however, never moved, and as Fred +was not hurt, he climbed the fence for another try, and this time came +down just in the right place, but in doing so, stuck his heels so +tightly into the nag's side, that, without waiting for the leader to +take hold of the halter, away he started at a canter, greatly to Fred's +dismay, for the bumping he received seemed something fearful to him, and +he had no small difficulty in keeping his seat; but keep it he did, and +the pony cantered away till nearly at the bottom of the field, when he +subsided into a trot, the boys behind in full chase, laughing and +cheering away as hard as they could. Trot--trot, went the pony, and +Fred thought it was horrible, for it rucked his trousers up, and shook +and bumped him ten times more than when he was cantering. But Fred was +too much of a stoic to find fault, and sat it out famously, for Harry +now caught up to him, and, seizing the halter, ran by his side till they +reached the fence again, when Fred dismounted. + +"Why, I thought you said that you couldn't ride!" said Philip, now +coming up quite out of breath. "Why, you ride better than we do; don't +he, Hal?" + +"Ride! of course he can," said Harry, "better than I can; but a couple +of old clothes-props, tied together, and put straddling over the pony, +would ride better than--Oh! don't, Phil, it hurts," he continued, as +Philip indulged his brother with a few thumps in the back to repay the +compliment that he had given to the punisher. + +"There goes the bell," said Fred, with a hunger-sharpened sense, running +off full race towards the house, closely followed by his cousins, who +could not, however, catch up to him until they reached the side-door, +through which they all rushed together with such impetus, that they came +in contact with Mary, who was carrying a plate of hot cake and some eggs +into the breakfast parlour. + +"Squawk," said Mary, as she was regularly upset, and they all went +down--boys, plate, eggs, tray, and all--in one heap upon the passage +floor. + +Out came Mrs Inglis, and out came the Squire, and out ran the cook from +the kitchen; and then everybody began to talk at once, so that the +confusion grew worse than ever. + +Master Harry was the first to get up, and, instead of trying to assist +his companions in misfortune, or to rub the dust off his clothes, he +began to collect the cake together; and, as the plate was broken, he +very carefully arranged the three-cornered wedges on the top of his +straw hat, as though the cake had been a puzzle. + +As for Fred, he had quite a job to disentangle himself from Mary; for, +when she was going down, she loosed her hold of the little tray she was +carrying, and caught hold of Fred, and, of course, they went down +together. But when Fred got up, he stood shaking his ear, and trying to +get rid of the buzzing sound produced by Mary's piercing scream. + +Philip was in the worst plight, for he went head first amongst the eggs, +and was in consequence rather eggy. He was quite aware of his +misfortune, and had been wiping the rich yolk off his face; but, not +having a glass before him, he had made it rather smeary, and also left a +goodly portion in the roots of his hair. + +Poor Mary gathered herself up, sobbing half hysterically that it wasn't +her fault. "No," said Harry, stoutly. "It wasn't Mary's fault. We all +had a share in it." + +As for Mr and Mrs Inglis, they took the sensible view of the case, +that it was an accident, which only resulted in the breakage of a plate, +and the loss of two or three eggs; for Harry declared that the cake was +"All right," and they would eat it; go they returned to the +breakfast-parlour, mutually glad that Mary was not bringing in the +tea-urn, when the accident might have been of a very serious nature. +But when the boys had made themselves respectable, and descended again +to breakfast, all this involved some rather serious talk upon the part +of Mr and Mrs Inglis, but did not seem to spoil the boys' breakfast +the least bit in the world; while as to the cake, they said it wasn't a +bit the worse, only rather gritty with a few little bits of china that +had been left in from the broken plate. + +"Well, boys," said Mr Inglis at last, "what have you been doing this +morning?" + +"Riding, Papa, in the field, and Fred, too. We had such capital fun, +and old Dumpling seems to like it as well as any of us." + +"Yes, I suppose so," said the Squire; "but I should think he liked it +best when you left him in peace, and he had got rid of such a pack of +wild young dogs, baiting and bothering him. Now," he continued, "what +are we going to do to-day?" + +"Let's go and catch another great pike," said Fred. + +Mr Inglis laughed, and told him that they might go fifty times and not +catch such another fish as the last; which I forgot to say in the proper +place was baked by the cook, with what she called a pudding inside it, +and eaten in triumph by the fishing-party, aided by Mrs Inglis, and +declared to be the best fish that ever came out of the river. + +"Let's go botanising, Papa," said Philip, "and go up the Camp Hill. It +would be so nice, and then we should have to take our dinners with us, +and Mamma would come too. Oh, do let's go there. You'll come, won't +you, Mamma?" + +But Mamma declined, for she had promised to go out for a drive with a +near neighbour; but said that she should much enjoy, the trip upon +another occasion. It was therefore decided that there should be a +botanising trip on the next day but two, the following day being +Saturday. + +"Let's play cricket, Papa, and you come and bowl for us," said Harry. + +"Bravo!" cried the others. "Oh do, Uncle oh do, Papa!" + +But Uncle and Papa, though always ready to do anything to please his +boys, seemed to think that bowling all day long, with the thermometer +marking some few degrees above summer heat, was rather too arduous a +task, so he declined, and said-- + +"Now, I think it comes to my turn to choose, and I'll tell you what I +think; and that is, as several of the specimens in the butterfly cabinet +are getting destroyed by the mites, we might take the nets and boxes, +and have a very pleasant ramble by the side of Beechy Wood, and down the +meadows, and then, if we happened to get so far, we could call and thank +Mrs Benson again; and coming back to a late tea, we should find plenty +of moths along by the wood-side." + +"That's the best idea yet," said the boys; although it is most probable +that they would have agreed to anything that Mr Inglis had proposed, +and said it was the best idea that could have been thought of. + +But this arrangement only provided for the afternoon: there was still +the morning to be employed. + +"If I were you, boys," said Mrs Inglis, "I should find something quiet +to do indoors, and then you will not be tired before you start in the +afternoon." + +"Ah," said the Squire, "have a look at your lessons. You have not +touched them all through the holidays." + +"Oh-h-h--Ah-h-h--Er-r-r--Um-m-m," groaned the boys. "Oh, Pa; oh-h-h," +they exclaimed, with such pitiful faces that any one might have thought +that they had been required to quaff, each of them, a great goblet of +salts and senna, or something equally nasty. + +Mr and Mrs Inglis both laughed heartily, and the boys then saw that +Papa was only joking, and the clouds disappeared from their faces +_instanter_; and off they scampered into the garden to spend the morning +quietly, so as not to be tired at the time appointed for starting. + +"Come on, boys," said Harry, taking flying leaps over all the +flower-beds in the parterre, as they went down the garden--greatly to +the disgust of old Sam, who very reasonably said, "As flower-gardens +warn't made to be jumped over;" and he then took off his old battered +hat, and scratched his bald head viciously. + +"Shouldn't I like to kick old Sam's hat!" said Philip; "he always will +wear such an old scarecrow of a thing." + +"I say, Sam," said Harry, grinning, "we are going to stop quietly in the +garden all the morning and help you." + +Sam grinned too, as he looked sideways at the mischievous laughing face +beside him. + +"Then I shall go," said Sam. "I won't stop; for I know you'll be +plaguing my very life out." + +"No, we won't, Sam, if you'll come and help us do our gardens up." + +"Oh, ah!" said Sam, "and I've got no end of things as wants doing: +there's all the wall fruit wants nailing in, and the grapes wants +thinning, and-- There now, just look at that! Master Harry, you +mustn't. If you don't put it down directly, I'll go and fetch out the +Maester." + +Sam might well exclaim, for Harry was beginning to help him, and had +seized the scythe. With cut number one he had shaved off the top of a +fine verbena. With cut number two, he had driven the point of the sharp +tool into the sod. Where the third cut would have gone, I can't say; +for Sam, hobbling up to the young workman, the young workman frisked +off, and seized the barrow half full of grass. + +"Jump in, Fred!" he exclaimed; and of course Fred soon made himself a +seat on the soft green contents, and then away went the barrow as fast +as Harry could run, and of course right away from the place where Sam +would require it next. + +Poor old Sam! He loved his master's boys, and he loved to scold them +too, as much as they loved to torment him; and in all their skirmishes-- +one of which always occurred whenever they came into his garden, as he +called it--Sam always got the worst of it, and had to yield to numbers. +And so in this case he saw that he should lose the day, and therefore he +declared a truce, and called up Philip to act as mediator. + +"Now, Master Phil, if you'll promise not to bother me any more, I'll put +you all up to something." + +"What is it?" said Philip. + +"Ah, you fetch them tother ones here, and I'll show you." + +Away darted Philip, and soon returned with Harry, the barrow, and Fred. + +Old Sam made sure of the barrow by sitting down upon the edge, and would +have been canted over by Harry, only he expected, and very naturally, +that it would make the poor old man cross. + +"Now, Sam, what is it?" said Harry. "Come, look sharp." + +"Ah," said Sam, "I've a good mind not to tell you. You don't deserve +it, you know." + +"Oh, I don't care," said Harry, seizing the old man's broom, and darting +off with it. "Come along, Phil, Fred, and we'll have such a game." + +"Now, Master Harry," said Sam, appealingly. Then to himself, "I never +did see sich a young dog in my life. Do come, please," he continued +aloud. + +"Well, what is it?" said Harry, advancing with the broom, held like a +gun with fixed bayonet brought to the charge, and poking with the birch +part at the old gardener. + +"Well, you know, you promised to be quiet, you know, didn't you?" + +"Why, of course we did," said Harry and Philip together. "Now, come, +tell us what it is." + +"Well," said Sam at last, "it's a wopses' nest as wants taking." + +"Capital!" said Harry, throwing down the broom; "where is it?" + +Old Sam's eyes twinkled with triumph as he got slowly up and led the way +to his tool-shed, where he reached down the large fumigating bellows, +and in the hollow made for the purpose he put in some hot cinders, which +Harry fetched in a shovel from the kitchen, and then on them a lump of +brimstone, and closed the nozzle over all; but not so quickly but that a +puff or two of the penetrating fumes escaped, and made the boys' eyes +water, and old Sam cough and choke most terribly for a minute or two. + +"Now then," said Sam, wheezing away at a dreadful rate, "I'm not going +with you, you know, so you take the bellows, Master Harry; and I should +take some boughs, if I were you, and beat the wopses off if they gets +loose. The nest is in the plantation, in the dead willow-tree that lies +by the path; so now go on, and good luck to you." + +The lads wanted no further incentive, but started off at full speed, to +come back again directly to say that the brimstone wasn't burning. +However, on giving two or three puffs with the bellows, Sam found this +was not the case, for it was alight; so off they started, half wild with +excitement, across the lawn, and old Sam rubbing his hands down the +sides of his trousers to give vent to his intense feeling of +satisfaction to think how well his device had succeeded; and then the +old man returned to his work, chuckling away, and, I am sorry to add, +muttering that he hoped they'd "some on 'em get stung;" an uncharitable +wish, however, that had no fulfilment in the sequel. + +"Come along, boys," said Harry, who was bellows-bearer; and away they +scudded till they reached the wooden bridge over the ditch, and then +they stood together beneath the trees. + +Puff, puff. Yes, the brimstone was all right, and now for the wasps. + +"Let me do it," said Philip, catching at the bellows. + +"No, no; I'll do it," said Harry, putting them behind his back. + +"Now, Harry, you know I'm older than you, and you carried them here, so +you ought to give way," said Philip. + +"Why," said Harry, "we ought neither of us to do it, because Cousin +Fred's here, and he's a visitor. Here, Fred," he said, holding out the +bellows, "you do it." + +"Do what?" said Fred, staring. "I don't know what you are going to do." + +"Why, take the wasps' nest in that old touchwood tree. You're only got +to put the nose of the bellows into the hole where they are going in and +out, and blew, and then keep them tight there till all the wasps are +dead." + +Fred looked at the bellows, then at his cousins, then at the hole in the +fallen trunk where the wasps were flying about; and after giving a puff +with the bellows, when smoke issued from the nozzle, he slowly +approached the hole, and stooped over it to insert the death-dealing +instrument. + +"Buzz--booz--whooz--ooz--ooz--ooz," said a couple of wasps, coming home +in a hurry, and circling round Fred's head so very closely that the boy +shut his eyes, and, stooping down very low, backed away crab fashion as +fast as ever he could. + +"I shan't do it," said Fred, rather red in the face; "they'll sting." + +"No, they won't," said Harry; "I'll go," and catching up the bellows, he +walked boldly up towards the hole. + +"I say," he said, "you two get boughs, and if the wasps do come out you +can beat them down." + +There was a minute of intense interest, during which Harry crept close +up to the hole, and Philip and Fred, armed with lime-tree boughs, stood +as body guard to protect the assaulting party. + +Nearer and nearer went Harry, and then pushed the nozzle right in up to +the part holding the brimstone, and puffed away as hard as he could. + +"Whir--whooz--whooz--booz--wooz--buzz--wooz--burr--urr-r-r-r-- +whir-r-r-r," said the wasps, scuffling out past the nozzle by the dozen; +and one, which must have been the leader, made a lodgment in Harry's +hair. + +Down went the bellows, and away went the boys as hard as ever they could +run out of the plantation, and over the wooden bridge, till they were +safe from the infuriated wasps, whose loud hum they could hear even +after they were some distance off. + +"Here," said Harry, "knock this beggar out of my head; make haste, or +he'll sting me." For there, buzzing and struggling in the boy's curls, +was one of the wasps, which was killed by Fred, who squeezed it between +two pieces of stick, and placed it beyond the power of doing mischief. + +"Ha, ha, ha!" said Philip, when there was no more danger: and when he +had got his breath again, "What a game!" + +"Booh," said Harry; "was it? You wouldn't like to go and try again." + +"I wouldn't mind," said Philip; "I shouldn't run faster than you did." + +"Ah! never mind," said Harry; "you run fast enough this time. I only +wish," he continued sulkily, "that I had let you go." + +Now, Philip was generally most terribly teased by his brother, and +therefore it was not surprising that he, who was generally such a mild +and inoffensive lad, should take this opportunity of making a little +retaliation. But one thing was very certain, and that was, that he +would have backed out of the task even if Harry had given it up to him. + +"Can't we fetch the bellows?" said Harry. "Let's go and see." + +Off they went again, but at a slower pace this time, in case there +should be any of the fierce little insects waiting for them. But their +caution was needless, for the wasps were busy at work trying to stick +their stings into the bellows, and some of them losing their lives +through the vapour that came reeking out of the opening. But when the +lads got near enough to see what a cloud there was buzzing about, they +gave up all idea of getting the bellows till night, and took vengeance +for their defeat by getting a little farther off and pelting the tree, +but only hitting it about once in twenty times, so that they very soon +tired of that pastime, and went back to see what poor old Sam could find +for them fresh. + +"Now, then," said Sam, when they came up, "where's the wopses' nest? +The Squire wants some grabs for fishing." + +"Ain't got it," said Harry, shortly. + +"How's that?" said the old man; "you weren't afeard, was you?" + +"No," said Harry, stoutly; "I wasn't afraid, only they came buzzing out +so we were obliged to give in." + +Chuckle, chuckle, went the old man at their defeat; but he would not go +himself to fetch the bellows, although he laughed at the boys' expense. + +"You'd better leave off laughing," said Philip, taking Harry's part, "or +we'll stop here all the morning." + +Sam grew serious in a moment, for the boy couldn't have uttered a more +dire threat against his peace of mind. + +"Ah! I ain't laughing, Master Phil, only it is good fun to see the +wopses make any one run. If I was you, I should go and have a look at +Bramble Dyke; they say as the water's nearly all dried up, and you can +get fish out of it." + +"It's too far," said Philip, "because we are going out with Papa +directly after dinner." + +Sam was done for a moment; but a bright thought flashed across his +brain. "Ah," said he, "if I was a young gentleman, I should go down the +north planting hedge, close to the dung-heaps; they do say there is a +sight of snakes there; but in course you young gentlemen won't go, for +as you're afraid of wopses, in course you won't like to go where there's +snakes." + +"Who's afraid?" said Harry; "I'm not; come on, boys," and away they +scampered again on their new expedition; while Sam leaned upon his broom +with which he was brushing the velvet green lawn, and chuckled again at +the success of his _ruse_. + +The boys armed themselves with stout sticks, and let Dick loose to take +with them; and then away down by the big fence to the north planting +Dick industriously hunting along the hedges and ditches as they went. + +"Keep back, Dick!" said Harry, when they reached the manure heaps; "keep +back, sir; quiet; down, dog, down!" + +But Dick was not a well-trained dog at all. He did not often come out, +and when he did he seemed to make the most of it; so every command given +by his master Dick answered by a leap, a scamper, and a bark, and doing +everything but what he was told. + +"Catch hold of him, Phil; he'll frighten all the snakes away before we +see them." + +But Dick would not be caught hold of, but capered about just out of +reach, and lolled his tongue out as though in derision of the efforts +made to secure him, till, growing more bold and impudent, he kept making +charges at his young masters' legs, until by one quick snatch Philip +caught the rascal by one of his ears, and so secured him in a most +ignoble manner, dragging him along with his skin all drawn on one side, +his eyes out of place, and his mouth wearing a most serio-comical +expression. + +Poor Dick! he did not mean any harm; but as to being a trained and +obedient dog, he was, as I said before, nothing of the kind, and often +spoiled a great deal of sport by his wild harum-scarum ways. But now, +as he was secured, a handkerchief was tied tightly round his neck, and +another to that by way of a chain or slip, and then the search was +prosecuted. + +The manure heaps were very long and large, and lay on a piece of waste +ground beside the park palings, and it was through the rents and gaps in +these pales that the snakes came out of the plantation to lay their eggs +in the warm manure; and, of course, if Master Dick had been left alone, +he would have run barking and scratching all along and alarmed the game. +As it was, they went the whole length of the first heap without hearing +so much as a rustle. The second heap was nearly passed in the same way, +when Harry, who was first, stepped nimbly back and caught hold of the +handkerchief that held Dick, who, seeing that something exciting was +going on, immediately became rampant, but was soon guided to a spot +where a snake had nearly buried itself in the rotten straw, and lay with +about nine inches of its tail exposed, after the fashion of an ostrich, +which supposes that if its head is hidden it must be all right and safe. +But there was no safety for the poor snake, for Dick was down upon him +in a moment and hanging on to its tail, in spite of the struggles of the +poor thing to get away. + +All Dick's efforts were directed towards dragging the snake out of its +hole, while the snake, by means of its scaly and plated body, offered a +most powerful resistance, and tried hard to creep farther in; and so +they went on for some time, the snake, however, gradually losing ground, +until the lads began to dig round it with their sticks, and loosen the +manure, when out it came all at once, writhing and twining, and trying +to fasten upon Dick's head; but the dog's shaggy, wiry hair protected +him, and shaking the unco' brute off for a moment, he got another gripe +at it close up to the head, and shook it, and worried it, until the poor +snake hardly moved, but gave in, conquered and dying. + +The trophy was secured, and Dick's stumpy tail wag-waggled, as much as +to say, "Didn't I do that well?" and then he kept snapping and leaping +up at the handkerchief which held the snake, while his red tongue +quivered and stuck out between his sharp shiny teeth that were longing +to have another snap at something. The huntsmen then cautiously went +along the side of the two remaining heaps, but not another trace of a +snake could they find, so they went back the whole length of the four +heaps, but with no better success, till Dick, who was down at the bottom +of the bramble-covered ditch, suddenly set up a sharp, short bark, then +there was a rustle and skurry for a moment, and he rushed open-mouthed +up the bank head fust at the oak palings, and came against them with a +thud just after a snake's tail was seen to disappear through a hole at +the bottom, where a small piece had rotted away. + +Dick whined and howled with rage at being thus stopped in his career, +and seizing a piece of the broken pale in his teeth, dragged it so that +he would shortly have made himself a way through, but his young masters +were soon by his side. + +"Throw him over, Harry," said Philip, excitedly, and in a moment Harry +had the struggling dog in his arms, raising him till he got his feet on +the top of the palings, when he leaped lightly down on the other side, +and began hunting about through the fallen leaves and twigs for the +escaped quarry; but all in vain, as his whining testified, so that poor +Dick was called off, and had to run nearly a quarter of a mile before he +could find a place to creep through, which he did at last by scraping a +little of the earth from beneath the pales, and then grovelling through, +getting stuck about the middle of his back, though, and whining till he +got free, which he did after two or three struggles, and then ran to +join his young masters, who were whistling and calling him as loudly as +they could, and who now turned their steps homeward, for Harry declared +he could smell the roast beef they were going to have for dinner. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +A FLIGHT WITH THE FLIES. + +I don't suppose Harry could smell the roast beef when he was a mile from +home, but sure enough it was done when the boys got there, and they had +only just time to get themselves ready before the dinner-bell rang. + +"Well, boys, I suppose you have been very quiet," said Mr Inglis, "and +are ready for a good long walk this afternoon?" + +"We're ready for the walk, Papa, but we haven't been very quiet," said +Philip. "One don't seem as if one could keep very quiet this fine +weather. I never do. I should like to be always out." + +"I shouldn't," said Harry, with his mouth full of beef and potato; "I +should like to come in when dinner and tea were ready." + +"Well said, Harry!" exclaimed Mr Inglis; "that was certainly not a very +polite speech, but there was a good deal of common sense in it; and I +don't think Master Phil, there, would care much about stopping out when +it rained. But make haste, boys; we must not stop talking, for there +are all the things to get ready, and we have a long walk before us." + +Half an hour after, Mr Inglis and the boys were passing out of the +gate, and they soon reached the spot where the lads entered the wood the +day they were lost; but this time they kept along the fields by the +side; and beautiful those fields looked, and beautiful, too, the +wood-side. There were wood anemones and hyacinths by the thousand, +spangling the bright green grass here with delicate white, and there +with the dark blue bells; while the brionies and honeysuckle clustered +in every direction along the dwarf bushes by the side of the wood. + +"There he goes," said Harry, all at once starting off full speed after a +sulphur butterfly. + +"Stop, stop!" cried Mr Inglis. "Here, Philip, take the net, and go +steadily and quietly and see if you cannot catch it, but you must not +hurry, or you will send it right away." + +Philip took the green clap-net and went in chase of the beautiful fly +which flitted on before him, now stopping, now going on again, and +sipping flower after flower. At last he got close enough, and stooping +as far forward as he could reach, popped the green gauze net down upon +the grass. + +The other boys ran breathlessly up, while Mr Inglis drew from his +pocket a large-sized pill-box and a pair of forceps, and on coming up to +the spot where Philip and the other boys were, he stooped down to secure +the prize. + +"Well, where is it?" said Mr Inglis. + +"Just underneath," said Philip. + +"I don't think it is," said Mr Inglis, looking down at the net. + +"Oh yes, it is," said Philip; "I'm sure I caught it." + +So Mr Inglis looked through the net in all directions, but not a sign +could he see of any sulphur butterfly, for Philip had popped the net +down just behind it, and the bright-coloured fly was off and away far +enough by that time. + +"Never mind; try again," said Mr Inglis, "only don't be so impetuous; +go quietly after the butterfly till you get within reach, and then press +the net down firmly and quickly, or close it over the prize. If you go +so impetuously you agitate the air, and drive a volume of it before you, +which not only alarms the insect, but helps to force it out of your +reach." + +"But I was sure I had it," said Philip. + +"Just so," said Mr Inglis, smiling; "but it does not do to be too sure +of anything. Now, Philip," he continued, "take the net again, and see +if you cannot have a little better success; there's one of the little +blue butterflies hovering over that dry bank--there, where we picked the +harebells last year. Don't you see it?--it almost looks like a harebell +itself." + +"Oh! I see it now," said Philip, seizing the net and rushing off. + +"Not so fast--not so fast," cried Mr Inglis; but it was of no use, for +Philip darted up to the bank, and as he did so the little blue butterfly +gently rose in the air, and disappeared over the hedge into the next +field. + +"Here, Fred," said Mr Inglis, handing his nephew a small bag net fitted +to a joint of a fishing-rod; "now try what you can do, and see if you +cannot creep up quietly without all that rush and fuss your cousins +make. Now, then, there goes another sulphur butterfly." + +Fred started off, and followed the insect all along one side of the +field by the wood, and then partly along the other, when the game gently +rose and went over to the other side. But there was a gap in the hedge, +and Fred crept through; but on reaching the other side no butterfly +could he see for a minute, when all at once it rose from a flower close +beside him, and began flitting down the hedge-side again. At last it +alighted upon a bunch of Mayflower, quite low down, a late cluster that +ought to have been out in bloom a month earlier; and now Fred crept up +closer and closer till he stood within reach, when he dashed the net +down and just missed the insect, which began to rise, when, recovering +his net, Fred made another flying dash, and to his great delight he saw +that the yellow treasure was fluttering about inside. + +Just then his uncle and the boys came through the gap, and the +butterfly, which Mr Inglis said was a very fine specimen, was secured +and placed in one of the large pill-boxes. + +The captures now made became frequent: at one time it was a gorgeous +peacock admiral, with the splendid eyes upon its wings; then one of the +pretty tortoiseshell butterflies, or a red admiral, with its lovely +lace-edged wings; then again, one of the curious dusky-veined, or an +orange-tipped, with its under wings so beautifully traced with green. +Down by the pond side, too, they captured some of the fierce libellulae, +the gauzy-winged dragon-flies, that darted about with such a powerful +flight over the water, and then hovered apparently motionless, as though +looking at their beautiful bodies reflected on the bright surface. On +one bank, too, a bright little green lizard was captured, and carefully +secured, to place in one of the fern cases; besides which there were +rose beetles, watchmen, spiders, and tiny flies, that Fred considered +were neither curious nor pretty, but which Mr Inglis said were quite +the contrary, being both curious and pretty, or, rather, beautiful, as +he would show Master Fred when they reached home. There were plenty of +specimens, too, to have been obtained from the water; but this was not a +water expedition, so they contented themselves with the productions of +the air, and rich indeed was this part of the country in insect wonders. +Fred at first only looked upon the gaily-painted butterflies, and +bright rose beetles, as being beautiful, till he heard some of the +explanations from Mr Inglis, when he found that in some of the smallest +insects they captured there were ten times the beauties and wonders that +were to be found in their larger companions. There were numberless +things that he would have passed over because they were not striking at +the first glance, but which the eye of the naturalist had sought out, +and made known to those who had not chosen insect life for their study. +Fred never before saw such plumes of feathers as some little gnats wore +on their heads, nor knew of such a wondrous or dangerous instrument as +the sting of a bee, so fine and so sharp; and yet fine as it was, able +to contain a channel by which the minute portion of poison was injected +into the tiny wound to rankle and create such great pain. + +"But come," said Mr Inglis, "we must talk about these things when we +get back to-night, and have the microscope out. We must have some more +specimens yet. Try after those great cabbage butterflies, boys'--those +we have are getting very shabby in appearance." + +Away started Harry and Philip, forgetting in a moment all the advice +they had received, and dashing off after the inserts in a wild chase, +that ended, of course, in the butterflies soaring up out of reach, and +the boys coming back hot and out of breath to be laughed at by their +father and Fred. + +At last they reached Mr Benson's farm, where they were most cordially +received by the farmer's happy-faced dame, who seemed delighted to see +her belated friends again, and soon had them into the house to feast +upon fresh-gathered strawberries and some of the thick yellow cream that +she skimmed morning and night from the pans in her snowy dairy; and when +they had finished, and Mr Inglis was having a quiet chat with Farmer +Benson about crops, and markets, and similar matters, which Harry +classed together as "all bother," Mrs Benson showed the boys her famous +dairy, which I was quite right in calling "snowy," for it was in +everything of the whitest and coldest. For Mrs Benson's dairy was +famous for the butter and cream it produced, and was well known at all +the markets round, for from nowhere else was there such sweet +golden-looking butter to be obtained. + +After Fred had been initiated in the mysteries of churning and cheese +pressing, they all went into the orchard, and saw what a goodly promise +of apples there was, and then and there Mrs Benson promised them a +basketful, which she said she would send to them at the school. Then +into the garden, which seemed to be overflowing with fruit and +vegetables; and then into the farm-yard to see the fowls, cows, and +calves, and have a peep in at the great brindle bull, whose low +thundering bellow made the door vibrate and rattle upon its hinges, and +who turned round his great heavy, stupid-looking face to the full length +of his bright chain, and stared at his visitors as much as to say, "Did +you ever see such a great bull-headed thing before in all your life?" +He seemed to be anything but the great savage, roaring beast that Fred +had expected to see. But for all his dull look, this very bull could +fly into a passion sometimes when he was out in the fields, and stamp +and bellow and tear up the ground, making the sods fly in all +directions. He once charged at the cowman who was going to drive the +cows all up for milking, and as soon as the man saw him coming away he +ran for the gate, and after him came the bull, full tear. The more the +cowman ran the more the bull ran, till at last the gate was reached, and +over it went the poor fellow, in a half jump, half tumble sort of +fashion, and then away again on the other side; while the bull, +evidently considering the gate as unworthy of his notice, disdained to +try and leap, but went rush at it like a small railway train at a +crossing where the gates have been accidentally left open. + +"Crash" went the gate, and "Bellow" went the bull, for it really hurt +him, as was testified by one of his horns being broken short off, making +the poor beast stop short, and stamp and bellow louder than ever; and, +giving up all thought of chasing the cowman, run tearing round the field +in a great clumsy gallop, frightening the cows till they all did the +same, with tails sticking straight up, and having plenty of difficulty +to get out of the poor bull's way, I say "_poor_" bull, for the animal +must have been suffering intense pain, though he deserved very little +pity, for there is no knowing what might have been the cowman's fate if +it had not been for the gate. + +When the visitors stood looking at the great staring-eyed, one-horned +beast, the place was quite well, and but for the one-sided appearance +given to him by the ragged stump having been sawn short off, there was +no trace of the feat he had performed in rushing at the gate. + +There was so much to see at the farm that Mr Inglis had a hard matter +to get away; besides which, the farmer and his dame were very anxious +that they should all stay to tea, and the lads had not the slightest +objection; but Mr Inglis said, when they came out for a specified +purpose they ought no to turn aside from it, and now; as they had paid +their visit to the farm, as previously arranged, they ought to return to +their collecting, for the moths would now be coming out fast. + +At last they were off, and this time took their way across the meadows +by the river side, so as to get to the wood again a couple of miles +nearer home, Mr Inglis considering that several pleasing objects of +natural history might here be collected. + +They had not gone far before he called the attention of the boys to the +Ephemene or Mayflies dancing up and down in their beautiful light over +the banks of the stream. Beautiful little objects they seemed, with +their spotted wings and three tails, as straight up they flew rapidly +for five or six feet, and then, spreading out wings and tails, allowed +themselves, without effort, but with evenly balanced bodies, to sink +down again, presenting a beautiful appearance as the fast descending sun +shone sideways upon them. + +Fred could have stopped for half an hour watching these Mayflies, but +time was flying as well, and they had to get home to tea; but two or +three fine specimens were captured by Mr Inglis and put safely in as +many pill-boxes, and during their stay as many more were snapped up by +the fish in the river. Then on the party went again towards the wood, +capturing insect treasures as they passed through the pleasant green +meadows and by hedge-rows, all now of a bright golden green with the +rays of the sinking sun. Now it was a great stag-beetle that was +caught--a great horny-headed and horny-bodied fellow, so strong that he +could force his way out of a closed hand by sheer pushing, like his +friend the cockchafer, who now began to whirr and drone about under the +shady boughs of the trees, but who would not come near enough to be +captured, till at last one of them came bump up against Mr Inglis's +hat, in its headlong flight, when Fred picked it out of the grass where +it had fallen, and was astonished at the slow but strenuous efforts the +insect made to escape. + +As they came up to the wood Fred stopped short, for from out of its dark +recesses came a peculiar whirring sound, as if somebody was busy with a +spinning-wheel. + +"Chur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r," went the noise, rising and falling, now farther +off, now nearer, and all the time kept up with the greatest regularity. + +"Whatever is that?" said Fred to his cousins. + +"Oh!" said Harry, laughing, "that's old Dame Durden spinning her yarn." + +"What?" said Fred incredulously. + +"There, look," said Mr Inglis, for the noise had stopped. "There goes +Harry's Dame Durden;" and just then there came swooping out of the wood +with noiseless flight, a large brown bird, which then went skimming +along by the wood-side and back to where there stood a noble beech with +wide-spreading boughs, beneath whose shade the bird went circling round +with a beautifully easy flight, sometimes keeping quite in the shade, +and every now and then rising higher up the tree; but still skimming +along almost like a swallow, "There," said Mr Inglis again, when they +had watched the bird for some minutes, "that is the way to turn +entomologist; see how easily that bird captures the moths that flit +round the tree. If we could only secure specimens like that, what rare +ones we should get sometimes of those that always fly high out of our +reach! There, did you see him catch that moth, high up above the big +bough? With what a graceful curve he turned upon the wing, caught it, +and then dipped downward. See, he must have got a mouthful, and has +gone off to the wood again, where perhaps he has nestlings." + +"Well, but," said Fred, "that can't be a swallow, it is so big, and I +thought swallows were the only birds that caught flies and moths upon +the wing." + +"No," said Mr Inglis, "it is not a swallow, though it has similar +habits, and always catches its prey upon the wing. It is a bird that +bears a good many different names; one of the most appropriate is that +of the `night-jar,'--though it is not really a night bird, but more of +the twilight. It is called `jar,' from the peculiar jarring noise which +you heard, just like that made by the vibrating of a spinning-wheel. In +some places they call it the `goatsucker,' from a foolish idea that it +sucked the milk from the goats, as it is sometimes seen to fly close +down to them, and, between the legs of various animals, to capture the +flies that infest them in the soft, tender parts of their bodies. A +glance at the bird's great gaping mouth should be sufficient to convince +anybody that it was meant for nothing else but catching flies, and the +spiny fringe of hair at the side for caging them there when caught. In +some places it is called the `night-hawk,' and I should scarcely think +there is any bird that has more names than our friend there." + +A few more moths and insects were captured, among which was a very fine +puss moth, whose downy appearance made it a great object of attraction +to the boys, as was also one of those noble-looking insects, the privet +hawk moth, which was also captured, with gold-tails, tigers, etc, etc; +and at last, regularly tired out, the lads walked quietly along by the +side of Mr Inglis, listening to the mellow evening notes of the cuckoo, +the distant lowing of the cows, and the occasional "tink, tink" of a +sheep bell; while skimming along the surface of the fields, the +never-tired swallows kept sweeping away the flies front out of their +path. With the setting sun, however, the last swallow disappeared; and +one by one in the pearly-grey sky appeared the stars; and then, loud, +sweet, and clear, from out the grove came the notes of the nightingales, +ringing away through the distance, till bird answered bird, and the song +seemed almost continuous, cheering the party till they finished their +walk. + +Mr Inglis had been highly amused with Harry's humorous description of +how they had attacked the citadel of the wasps. And how ignominiously +they had been put to flight; and told them how foolish their plan was, +for they might have been sure that a large number of the insects would +be out, seeking for food; and, as they would be constantly returning, +they would be certain to attack those whom they found interfering with +their castle; for soldiers as they were among insects, and armed too +with such a powerful weapon, the attack was nothing more than the boys +might have expected. However, he promised the lads that he would assist +them the next evening, and detailed his plan of attack, giving them a +long description of the way he should proceed, for he saw that they +could hardly get along; but his account so took up their attention, that +just in the midst of one of his remarks they reached the gates, and he +exclaimed:--"Now, boys, enough entomology for one day; for, like you, +I'm tired out; so let's see what Mamma there, who is waiting at the +door, has in store for us." + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +RATTING WITH DICK.--THE END OF THE WOPSES. + +The evening after the entomological ramble passed away very quietly, for +the boys were too tired to care for anything but the hearty tea they +made, which partook more of the nature of a supper; and after this there +was such a disposition for sleep exhibited by the whole of the party, +not excluding the Squire himself, that Mrs Inglis very soon began to +talk about bed; and toe had to talk very loudly, too, for Harry had +curled himself up in the great easy chair, dormouse fashion; Fred was +sitting at the table with a book, whose leaves he was keeping from +flying open by resting his head upon them; while Philip was seated on a +small ottoman by his father's knees, and resting against them, fast +asleep, as was also the Squire himself. + +Mrs Inglis looked up from the fancy work upon which she was engaged, +and could not help smiling at the appearance the rest of the inmates of +the room presented. However, judging that at all events the junior +portion would be far better in bed, she proceeded to arouse them, which +was no easy task; and at last got them out of the room, Harry being by +far the most sleepy, and yawning fearfully as he was led off to bed. + +The next morning Fred was the first awake, and, after rousing his +cousins, he went to the window to raise the blind, when he found it to +be a regular soaking wet morning, one with a heavy, leaden-hued sky, and +the rain coming down "plish-plash" from the leaves and branches, and +upon the edges of the verandah the drops running together like glassy +beads until too heavy to hang, when they dropped upon the stones below, +just in the same places where they had fallen for years, and wore the +stone away into hollows. Little streams were slowly running down by the +sides of the gravel-walks, and every bit of path looked muddy and dirty. +As for the birds, they did not seem to mind the rain a bit, but were +hurrying about the grounds picking up the worms, slugs, and snails that +the cooling rain had fetched out of their hiding-places, so that they +were having a regular feast; while one thrush, who had evidently been an +early bird, and had the first pick at the worms, was up, high up, in the +cedar at the corner of the field, whistling away as though the happiest +of birds. The roses were getting washed clear of the blight that had +begun to cover them; and everything seemed to be drinking in the soft +cooling drops that fell so gently and bathed the face of nature, for +during Fred's visit the only rain that had fallen was that which +accompanied the thunderstorm, and since then the hot sun had drawn all +the moisture from the surface, so that many things began to appear +parched, and to flag in the noontide heat. Altogether it was a regular +soaking morning; and, after being very tired overnight, when people get +up on these very wet soaky mornings they are liable to get low-spirited, +and to feel dull--there is a want of elasticity in the air, and the +consequence is that folks feel yawny, or gapish, whichever is the best +word; and after looking out at the gloomy prospect--for places will look +rather gloomy in these heavy rains, which are very different things to +the soft, passing showers which lay the parched dust, and when the sun +shines forth brighter than ever soon after, and makes the pearly drops +glitter and sparkle where they hang to spray or leaf--I say, after +looking out at the gloomy prospect, people often turn round and look at +their bed, and the nice comfortably-shaped impression they left there; +and I have known people so weak as to get into bed again and go to +sleep; and amongst those weak enough to get into bed was Fred; but he +would have required to have been strong enough to go to sleep, for, +directly after, Harry and Philip charged into the room nearly dressed; +and seeing what Fred had been doing, they seized the clothes, whisked +them off, and then pretended to smother the poor idler with his own +pillow. + +"Now ain't that sneaky, Phil, to call two fellows up and then go and +crawl into bed again? Fetch the sponge." + +But Fred did not wait for the sponge, for he began to shuffle into his +clothes as hard as ever he could. + +"Well, look what a miserable, cold, wet morning it is," said the +sluggard. + +Harry ran to the window and looked out, and then made a grimace at the +weather. "Oh," said he, "what a bother; and we were going up the Camp +Hill botanising." + +"No, we weren't," said Philip; "Papa said we should not go till Monday." + +"Good job, too," said Harry; "but never mind, we'll find something to +do, see if we don't. Oh! I know; Papa promised to bring out the +microscope last sight and show us the insects, only we all went to +sleep. I was so jolly tired." + +"You weren't so tired as I was," said Philip. + +"Yes, I was," said Harry, "ever so much more." + +"I know you weren't," said Philip. + +"How do you know that?" said Harry. + +"How do you know that you were?" said Philip. + +"Because I felt so," said Harry. + +"Well, so did I," said Philip. + +"Oh! bother," said Harry, finding no bottom to the argument. "I know +who was most tired; it was Fred, for he went to sleep first with a bit +of bread and butter in his mouth." + +"I didn't," said Fred, indignantly. + +"That you did; didn't he, Philip? and Pa and Ma both laughed at him; and +I wasn't so sleepy but that I saw Pa get Kirby and Spence's `Tomology' +down to read, and lean back in his chair himself--now then!" + +During this dispute no progress was made in the dressing; but, upon +Harry suggesting that they should go and peep at the specimens they +obtained on the previous evening, they all scrambled through the rest of +their dressing, and hurried down to the Study, where all the boxes had +been placed overnight. + +Harry finished dressing first, and would have run down stairs, but was +prevented by Philip, who locked the door, and then passed the key to +Fred, so that Master Harry was compelled to wait until the others were +ready. At last they descended by sliding down the banisters, Philip +leading off, and Harry nearly upsetting him at the bottom by sliding +down too quickly and coming into sharp contact. At last they burst, +pell-mell, into the study, as if they were soldiers about to sack a +town, and perhaps, too, a little more impetuously. + +"Gently, gently," said Mr Inglis, who was sitting there reading; +"what's the matter?" + +"Oh! Papa, we did not know you were here; we came to look at the +specimens," said Philip. + +But the specimens were not to be touched till the afternoon, for Mr +Inglis was going over to the town. But he promised that the microscope +should be brought out in the evening, and then sent the boys into the +breakfast parlour, where they found Mrs Inglis making the tea. + +Breakfast being finished, Mr Inglis started off through the miserable, +wet, drenching morning, and the boys were left to amuse themselves as +best they could, which they did by getting ready their fishing-tackle +for the promised trip to Lord Copsedale's lake, which had been almost +forgotten, so many amusements had been awaiting them day after day; but +which it was now decided by Harry should take place on the following +Tuesday morning. + +To the great delight of all, about twelve o'clock the clouds began to +break, and the sun to peep out, so that by the time Mr Inglis returned +it was quite a fine afternoon, and he promised that he would go with +them in the evening to destroy the wasps' nest, while the afternoon +being so fine left them at liberty to have a run and amuse themselves +with out-door sports,--always remembering, that the microscope was to be +brought out in the evening, the taking of the wasps' nest being only +looked upon as a small portion of what was to be done. + +Mr Inglis got very little assistance over the arrangement of his +specimens, for the excitement of catching them being past, Harry and +Philip cared very little for the more delicate operations of pinning out +and arranging, which required great care and nicety--the tender wings of +a butterfly showing every rude touch and finger-mark in the despoiled +feathers or plumes with which its pinions are adorned. + +Mr Inglis was sitting in his study very busily engaged in this manner, +and surrounded with entomological pins, when he saw the boys dash by the +window in company with Dick to hunt for water-rats by the river side. + +Dick had be willing enough to go, for weather seemed no object to him-- +hail, rain, or sunshine, he was always ready for a hunt, race, or +anything, and, by his actions, showed that he would far rather run after +nothing at all than be tied-up by his kennel; this tying up being a task +not easy to perform unless he was tired out, for Dick used to be seized +with deaf fits upon these occasions, and would scamper off in some other +direction, and at last have to be hunted out and ignominiously dragged +to his chain, most likely by one ear, as we have seen when he was out +after the snakes; for a lover of liberty was Dick, one who abhorred +chains as fully as any negro dragged from the burning coast of Africa; +but the poor fellow was compelled to wear the chain for long hours every +day, and therefore his reluctance to return to his collar when, once he +was free of it. But upon this afternoon the dog was in full enjoyment +of his liberty, and off to the river side, as I have said before, to +have a rat hunt. + +It was a capital hunt the boys had that afternoon, although nothing was +captured; still Dick almost had hold of one great wet fellow by the +tail, which he just managed to save by dashing into his hole as the dog +came up to it, and stood barking and snapping his teeth because he was +so disappointed. There was no end of rat holes in the bank overhanging +the river, but it appeared as though the little animals had an +instinctive aversion to making the acquaintance of a dog, for snug +enough they kept themselves in the above-named holes, and, as it +appeared after a couple of hours' search that no rats were to be +obtained, the lads slowly sauntered back to the Grange in rather a +disappointed frame of mind. But the boys consoled themselves with the +idea that there was to be some good fun in the evening, when the wasps' +nest would be taken; and at last, without any further adventure than +that of Dick hunting somebody's ducklings through the horse-pond, and +having to be pelted with large pebbles to keep him from catching one of +them--greatly to the disgust of the owner, who would have been in a +great passion, only he knew to whom the dog belonged, and also knew that +if any mischief befel the ducklings he would be well recompensed for his +loss. However, Dick was persuaded to leave the pond at last, and, after +making a sort of canine fountain of himself as he shook the water out of +his coat, he consented to walk quietly home behind his young masters, +and was safely chained up by his kennel, to doze away the time, with the +raven for company, until the next run he could obtain with the boys. + +As soon as tea was over, Mr Inglis made preparations for taking the +wasps' nest, by making Harry take a spade and dig out a piece of stiff +yellow clay from down by the little gravel pit; and then, after he had +well-kneaded the mass, the fumigating bellows were once more obtained, +plenty of hot cinders placed inside, and upon them a small quantity of +flour of brimstone; after which the garden was crossed, the plantation +reached, and the fallen tree reconnoitred. + +The sun was just setting, and the busy day hum of the wasps hushed to a +faint, low murmur, while not a single insect could be seen either going +in or out of the hole. Mr Inglis then made Harry apply the mass of +clay to the nozzle of the bellows, and fix it tightly round them, so +that when the instrument was applied to the hole the clay could be +pushed close up, and every cranny closed by the plastic mass, so that +nothing but the deadly vapour would go in. + +At last all was ready, and the first puff was given by Philip, for he +was operating under the direction of his father. At that first puff of +the bellows the faint hum within the fallen tree increased to almost a +roar, as the infuriated little insects vainly rushed about to gain an +exit from the suffocating prison in which they were closely confined. +Upon hearing the noise Philip almost dropped the bellows, but, at a word +from his father, he kept on steadily--puff--puff--puff, till the noise +within the tree grew fainter and fainter, and at last entirely ceased; +and then they knew that the fatal work was done then the bellows were +withdrawn, the hole carefully closed up with clay, and the tree left as +it was till the Monday morning, when Sam was to get some wedges and a +beetle and split it open, so as to obtain the nest without damage, if +possible. Harry was for having the tree split at once, but Mr Inglis +was of opinion that it had better be left as it was for the time, and +led the way towards the house. + +As soon as they were all seated in the dining-room, Mr Inglis brought +out the large mahogany box containing the microscope, with the different +specimens which he had prepared for inspection, and Fred was soon +astonished with the wonder which he saw, such as flies' eyes, displaying +within themselves innumerable other tiny eyes, each evidently possessing +its own powers of vision. Then there was down off a butterfly's wing; +the wings of flies; the wing-cases of beetles, displaying colours of the +most gorgeous hues, and glittering like precious stones; tiny insects, +such as seen creeping upon the opening buds of roses: and all these, +with numberless other things, were displayed to the astonished boy's +gaze. Most of these had been seen by Harry and Philip many times +before, so that Fred had a very long inspection of the microscopical +wonders, and was greatly puzzled to understand how many hundreds of +times any little object could be magnified; and, on afterwards looking +beside the microscope at the speck upon the glass plate, which, when he +looked through the instrument, had appeared to be of the most gorgeous +tints, he could scarcely believe that both objects were the same; and he +kept taking his eye from the instrument to look down the side, and then, +with a wondering air, back again. + +And so the evening quickly passed away, for Mr Inglis had a large +collection of objects for the microscope, and, what was more, a genial +way of chatting about them, imparting plenty of useful knowledge at the +same time, but in so interesting a manner that the boys were never-tired +of listening, and would hardly believe it when they heard at last it was +bed-time. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY. + +The next day being Sunday, the boys walked over to church with Mr and +Mrs Inglis--to the pretty old church that looked as if it was built of +ivy, so thoroughly were tower, nave, and chancel covered with the dark +green leaves, which had to be kept cut back or they would have soon +covered up the windows; and even then, long green shoots were dangling +about in all directions, ready to take advantage of a week or two's +neglect, and commence veiling the old stone mullioned windows. + +This was Fred's first visit to the church, for on the first Sundays of +his stay the days had been lowering, and Mr Inglis read prayers in the +dining-room; and now that the lad followed his cousins out of the bright +sunshine, through the old porch, and into the dim venerable-looking +building, everything struck him as being so very different from what he +had been accustomed to see in London. Here there were the bare +whitewashed walls, with the old tablets upon them, and here and there an +old rusty helmet, or a breastplate and a pair of gauntlets. Then there +were the quaint old brasses of a knight or squire and his wife, with a +step-like row of children by their side, and all let in the old blue +slabs that paved the floor, ever which the worshippers of succeeding +generations had passed for hundreds of years since. Then, too, there +was the recumbent figure of the Knight Templar lying cross-legged, with +his feet resting upon a dog, or some curious heraldic beast, and carved +to represent his having worn chain, armour; the old oak pulpit; the +fragments of stained glass in the windows; and, above all, the quaint +appearance of many of the country people, dressed as they were in their +Sunday best. These were among the things that took Fred's especial +attention when he first entered the old village church; but when, +instead of an organ, the choir commenced singing to the accompaniment of +an old clarionet, a bassoon, and bass viol, Fred was completely +astonished, for he had never been in a church before where there was not +an imposing-looking instrument, with its large rows of gilt pipes. +However, the hymn, in spite of the bad accompaniment, was very sweetly +sung, and the service beautifully read in the soft silence of that old, +old church, with the thousand scents of the country floating in through +the open doors and windows, like Nature's own incense entering the +temple of Nature's God. + +Fred sat and listened, and by degrees all that was quaint and odd seemed +to fade away, and leave nothing but the solemn stillness of the place, +with the calm impressive voice of the clergyman telling of the goodness +and love of his Maker. Then, too, the quiet walk back, with the breeze +gently waving the corn now in full ear, making shade after shade of +green appear to sweep over the surface of the many acres of rank wheat. +The river, too, seemed to sparkle clearer and brighter than ever as the +bright sun's rays flashed from the little Tipples. Altogether, Fred +could not help, boy as he was, contrasting the bright country air and +the lovely landscape with the fashionable London church in fashionable +London: the hot dusty pavement--the noisy street and the oppressive +choky air; and then he thought how he would like to live at Hollowdell +for ever. + +Boys are very quick in making their determinations, and Fred thought he +was quite right in his; but he had never been down there in the winter, +when the clay stuck to the boots, and the leaves had forsaken the trees; +when the cold soaking rain came drenching down for day after day, and +ofttimes the swollen river would be flooding the meadows. Fred had +never realised the country in those times, when it was in such a state +that by preference those who could stayed as much indoors as possible; +but no one, to have looked at the present aspect of things, could have +supposed such a change possible. Sunday in the country, in the long +bright days of summer, truly is delightful, for it is only then that the +young fully realise the calmness and beauty, for the cessation from +sports leaves the young minds time to think a little more upon what is +around them. + +But I find that I am getting into too serious a strain, and my young +readers will be for skipping all this portion of my story; so I must +hasten to say that the calm summer evening was spent in a delightful +walk down by the pleasant wood-side, where out of their reach the party +could see, as it grew later, the light mists begin to curl above the +river in many a graceful fold. Fred's friend, the night-jar, was out, +and the nightingale in full call, while every now and then his sweet +song was interrupted by the harsh "Tu--whoo--hoo--hoo--oo," of an owl +somewhere in the recesses of the wood. Then the return home was made, +and soon after the lads were asleep and dreaming of their botanical trip +to the Camp Hill. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +STALKING ON STILTS. + +"Up--up--up--up--up--hilli--hi--he--o-o-o!" shouted Harry, who was first +awake the next morning. "Come, boys, botany for ever! Di-andria and +Poly-andria, and ever so many more of them, will be up the Camp Hill; +and then there will be monogamia, and cryptogamia, and ever so many more +games, here, there, and everywhere. Come, boys, get up;" and then Harry +accompanied the request with a hearty bang from his pillow, the result +of which was, in the cases of both brother and cousin, a leap out of bed +and a regular scuffle; then hasty dressing, and out in the garden again +amongst the dew-wet flowers. + +"There's old Sam, shaving away as usual," said Harry, as they reached +the lawn, and saw the old man busy at work with his scythe. "I wonder +what he has got to tell us; I know he'll have something, so as to get +rid of us all. Ah! don't old Sara hate to have us with him." + +But Sam, although he expected it, was not to be teased very much upon +this morning, for Philip made a remark which completely turned the +current of Harry's thoughts, and away they all started back to the yard. + +Dick greeted them with rapture; but Dick was not to be let loose, and he +soon showed his disgust by sharp angry barks. The old raven came +slily--hop, hop, hop--behind them, to give some one a dig with his hard +beak; but Fred knew his tricks now and kept him at a distance; while +Philip, who was not attending, received a sharp poke right in the calf +of the leg, which sent him chasing his aggressor round the yard, armed +with the stump of an old birch broom; but the raven hopped upon the +dog-kennel, then upon the wall, and from thence up into one of the +horse-chestnut trees, and so out of reach, for when the broom was thrown +at him it only crashed amongst the branches and came to the ground, +while the raven burst out into a series of harsh barks, that sounded +very much like a laugh of derision. + +"An old beast," said Philip, for his leg was bleeding a little, the dig +having gone right through his trousers. "Never mind. I'll serve him +out, for I'll let Dick loose at him the next time I catch him in the +stables." + +Meanwhile, Harry had entered the stable and climbed up the perpendicular +ladder into the loft, where the boys could hear him stumping about in +the dark place, stumbling over the hay and straw trusses, and at last he +shouted-- + +"Why, they're not here, Phil." + +"Yes, they are," said the one addressed. "I put 'em there myself, up in +the corner, after we had them out last time. Look again." + +Harry looked again, and again, and could not find what he was in search +of, and said so; and then Philip called him "Old mole's eyes," and went +up himself; while Fred waited underneath the trap-door. But Master +Philip had no better success than his brother, and they came to the +conclusion that the stilts they were in search of were gone; so they +turned to descend, when Harry caught sight of the position Fred +occupied, and pointed it out to Philip; and then, making signs, and +catching up an armful of hay, Philip doing the same, the result was that +poor Fred was nearly smothered beneath the fragrant shower that came +down upon his head. + +"Oh! I'll pay you for this, Master Harry," aid Fred, freeing himself +from his load, and rightly judging who was the author of the mischief. +"Mind that's a debt of honour, so look out." + +Harry grinned defiance, and then hunted well through both stable and +coach-house for the missing stilts, but without success. + +"Why, I know where they are," said Philip all at once. + +"No, you don't, old clever-shakes," said his brother. + +"Well, you see if I don't tell," said Philip. "I know old Sam has +hidden them because we walked all down the gravel-walk last month, +before Fred came; and don't you remember it was wet, and we pretended +that it was a flood, and that we were obliged to use the stilts to keep +out of the water; and then Sam went and told Papa that we had made the +path all full of holes with the stilts?" + +"Oh! ah! I recollect," said Harry; "and I remember your going down in +the puddle. But do you think Sam took them?" + +"I feel sure he did," said Philip. + +"Won't we serve him out then," said Harry. "Come on. Let's pretend +that we know he's got them, and ask for them at once." + +Now, old Sam had been all this time very methodically shaving away at +his grass, and congratulating himself upon the boys keeping out of the +garden; but, to his horror and disgust, he at length saw them all come +bearing down upon him full rush, evidently bent upon some errand that he +would consider unpleasant. + +"Ha!" said Sam, stopping to wipe his scythe, and drawing his rubber out +of the sheath on his back. "Ha! I know what you all wants. You wants +to know how the wopses' nest is a gettin' on." + +"No, we don't," said chief spokesman Harry; "but we'll go presently and +see, though. We want our stilts, that you've got somewhere." + +"Laws, Master Henry," said the old man, pretending to be innocent, +"whatever made you think of that?" + +"Come now," said Harry, "give 'em up directly, or we'll run away with +your tools. Give us the stilts." + +"I ain't got 'em," said the old man. + +"No, but you've hid them away somewhere; so tell us directly." + +"Stilts--stilts," said Sam, wonderingly; "what's stilts?" + +"Why, you know well enough," said Philip; "and I know you've hid them +away somewhere, because you thought we should forget them and not want +them any more; so come now, Sam, tell us where they are, or we'll all +begin to plague you." + +"No, I weant," said Sam, throwing off all disguise. "You don't want +them, and you'll only go `brog--brog' all down the walks, making the +place full of holes, and worse than when people has been down 'em in +pattens. I weant tell ee, theer," said the old man, defiantly, in his +broad Lincolnshire dialect. + +"Yes, you will," said Harry; "now come." + +"I weant," said the old man again, beginning to mow. + +"Never mind," said Harry, "we'll go and have a look at the wasps' nest, +and see if they are all killed, and then I know what we'll do. I say, +Fred," he said loudly, "Phil and I will show you how they thin grapes." + +"Oh! laws," said old Sam to himself, and bursting out into a cold +perspiration, for his grapes were the greatest objects of his pride, and +he used to gain prizes with them at the different horticultural shows in +the district. Even Mr Inglis himself never thought of laying a +profaning hand upon his own grapes, until Sam had cut them and brought +them in for dessert; and now the young dogs were talking of thinning +them, and the sharp-pointed scissors lay all ready; and what was worse, +the key was in the door of the green-house. + +"Oh dear! oh dear!" said Sam, throwing down his scythe, and hobbling off +after the boys, who kept provokingly in front, and popped into the +green-house just before him. "There," he said, "I'm bet out with you; +come out, and I'll tell ee wheer the stilts are." + +"Honour bright, Sam?" said Harry. + +"Oh! ah! yes," said Sam. And then the boys coming out from beneath the +pendent green bunches of grapes which hung thickly from the roof, the +old man locked the door up, and seemed to breathe more freely when he +had the key safely in his pocket. + +"I knew he'd hid them," said Philip. + +"Now, then," said Harry, "where are they?" + +"I've a good mind not to tell ee, you young dogs," said Sam. + +"We'll get in at the windows, then," said Harry and Philip in a breath. + +The old man glanced over his shoulder, and saw how easily the threat +could be executed, and then, with a grunt of despair, said-- + +"Now, if I let ee have 'em, will you promise not to walk in them in the +garden, and make holes?" + +"Yes, yes," said the boys, and then Sam led the way to the stoke-hole of +the green-house, where, tucked up in the rafters, and rolled tightly up +in piece of matting, were the two pairs of stilts. + +The boys seized them with delight; and Sam turned to go on with his +work; but just as the stilt-stalkers reached the yard, and prepared to +mount with their backs to the wall, clatter went the breakfast bell down +went the stilts, and away scampered the boys to the breakfast-room +window. On the way, however, they met Sam going also to his breakfast, +and in doing so he would have to pass the yard, and Harry remembered +that they had left the stilts there unprotected; so he and Philip +scampered back again, just in time, for the old man could not pass the +instruments which poked holes in his gravel-walks, and he was just +gathering them up when he heard the boys' footsteps, and, leaving the +stilts on the ground, he shuffled off as hard as he could. + +They took the stilts indoors, and into the hall, to place up in a +corner, and just as they were inside it struck Harry how nice it would +be to walk along the large hall upon them; for the floor was composed of +black and white marble in diamonds, so that he could have one stilt on a +black diamond and another on a white, and then change about again. So +he got his back up in the corner where the macintoshes and great-coats +hung, and then put one foot in one stilt, and made a spring to get into +the other, but gave his head such a crack against the brass hat pegs, +that he came down quicker than he went up, and then rubbed his crown +with a very rueful expression of countenance. However, Harry's was not +a nature to be cowed at a slight difficulty; so shifting his position a +little, he had another try, and was fairly mounted. + +"Stump--stump; stump--stump; stump--stump," went Harry down the hall; +and "stump--stump; stump--stump; stump--stump," he went back again, with +a face beaming with satisfaction, but so intent upon what he was doing, +that his forehead came sharply into collision with the swing lamp, and +made the glass, and Harry's teeth as well, chatter quite sharply. + +"Bother the stupid things," said Harry; "I wish they would not have such +things in the hall." + +Philip stood on the mat and grinned. + +"Stump--stump; stump--stump; stump--stump," went Harry again, but +keeping well clear of obstructions this time. + +"Whatever is that noise?" said Mrs Inglis, listening to the stumping of +the stilts; but taking no further notice, for she was making the tea, +while Mr Inglis was looking over the contents of a newspaper which had +just come in by post. + +"Stump--stump" went the stilts, while Fred had slipped out of the +breakfast-room to see what was going on, and now stood in the doorway +making a sort of silent echo of Philip's grin. + +"Stump--stump; stump--stump; crish--crash--dangle," said the stilts, the +lamp, and Harry's head. + +"Whatever are those boys doing?" said Mr Inglis, jumping up and going +to the door, closely followed by Mrs Inglis, and just as the young dog +was stumping back after knocking his head against the swing lamp. + +Mr and Mrs Inglis had better have stopped in the room, for no sooner +did Harry see his father's face issue from the door, than he let go of +the stilts, and one fell in one direction, and one in the other. Stilt +number one fell to the right, crash into the flower-stand, and chopped +some of the best branches off the fuchsias; while stilt number two--oh! +unlucky stick!--went crash down upon the great antique vase that stood +in the hall upon a pedestal, knocked it off, and there it lay, shivered +upon the marble floor. + +Harry looked for a moment at his father, then at the vase, and then at +the door and rushing out of it as hard as he could, was gone in a +moment. + +"Fetch back that boy," said Mr Inglis, sternly, as he walked back into +the breakfast-parlour, and rang the bell for one of the servants to +clear away the fragments. "Fetch back that boy." + +Away darted Philip to execute his commission, while Fred, who felt very +uncomfortable, followed his uncle and aunt back into the room, where +they continued their breakfast--Mr Inglis only reverting to the +newspaper again, and saying nothing about the accident. The first cup +of tea was finished, but no Philip; no Harry. The second cup--no +Philip; no Harry. And at last breakfast was nearly done, when Mr +Inglis said-- + +"Wherever can those boys be?" + +He had hardly spoken, when Philip came in to say that he could not find +his brother anywhere; and all the time looking as miserable and dejected +as though he had himself been the culprit Mr Inglis told Philip to sit +down to his breakfast; finished his own; and then got up, and went out +of the room. + +In about a quarter of an hour he returned, followed by Harry, with his +face bearing the mark of tears, and something uncommonly like a sob +every now and then escaping from his breast. + +Mr Inglis sat down again to his paper, and Harry tried to eat his +breakfast, but was getting or very badly indeed, until, looking towards +his father, he caught his eye. Mr Inglis smiled, and that smile seemed +to act like magic upon the lad, for he finished his breakfast in good +style--well making up for the lost time; while the sobs gradually ceased +to interrupt his meal, and by the time he rose, Harry looked as happy +again as ever. + +After breakfast, when the boys were alone, not a word would Harry say +about where he had been, nor yet what his father had said to him: but I +happen to knew that it was no wonder that Philip could not find him out +in the garden, nor in stable, coach-house, green-house, tool-house, or +any other place upon the premises; for the fact was, that the boy had +rushed out of the hall-door and round to the back door, where he had +entered and gone up the back stairs to his room, where Mr Inglis found +him lying upon his bed. I know also that Mr Inglis had a long talk +with his boy, and that something was said about running away, making the +fault worse; but, as upon another occasion, when the Squire had a long +talk with the boys in the library; I didn't feel disposed to play the +spy, and then "tell tales out of school;" for I think that where +correction or admonition is administered, it concerns only those to whom +it relates; and I do not approve of a boy's best feelings being wounded, +and his being also lowered in his self-esteem, by having witnesses of +what takes place, or eaves-droppers, to carry the words about for other +people to catch up and talk about afterwards. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +UP THE CAMP HILL. + +"Oh! isn't this a pretty walk?" said Fred, later on in the day, as they +were ascending the winding road that led up the Camp Hill, a road that +at every turn disclosed fresh views over the surrounding country. The +whole party were there--Mrs Inglis and all, and busy enough they were +collecting sprays, flowers, and leaves, as they went along; for rich +indeed was the hill in floral beauties, fresh and bright, as they had +just burst forth into bloom. Fred was busy as a bee collecting +everything, and getting confused, and placing in his tin box the same +kinds of plants two or three times over: but Fred was no botanist, only +eager to learn; and very hard and tiresome to remember he found the +names his uncle told him. However, he soon learnt which were the +pistils, stamens, petals, and calyx of a flower, while of the other +terms, the less we say the better; for although Fred had read a little +upon the subject, his notions of classes and orders were rather wild. +But for all that, he much enjoyed his trip, for no one could have +ascended that path without feeling admiration of the many beauties it +disclosed. The path had been cut entirely through the wood which +surrounded the hill, while the feet pressed at every step upon the soft +green elastic turf, that here grew of the finest texture, and in the +shortest strands. Nowhere else could be found such large heaths, with +their beautiful pinky lilac bells looking as though moulded in wax; +while harebells, orchids, anemones, arums, formed only a tithe of the +rich banquet of flowers which awaited the collector--and a most staunch +collector was Mr Inglis. He used to say that he was one of the most +ignorant of men, and the more he collected the more he found that out. +No doubt, if he had kept entirely to one science, he would have been +more skilled therein; but he said he liked that idea of a famous +essayist, who compared a man who devoted himself entirely to one thing, +to a tree that sent forth a tremendously great bough in one direction, +while the rest of the tree was composed of wretched little twigs. He +considered it better to have a little knowledge upon a good many +subjects, than to excel so greatly in one only. + +The view from the Camp Hill was one that could not be seen everywhere, +for it overlooked a wide tract of the richest farm land in England. It +was called the Camp Hill from the entrenchment at the summit, for here +had the Romans in days long gone by established one of those mighty +works that, after fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen centuries, still exist +by the score in our country, to show how powerful and highly-disciplined +were the armies that the Roman Emperors sent into Britain. Fred was, +however, rather disappointed at the Camp: he expected to have seen +turrets and embrasures, and, if not cannon, at all events a few +catapults and battering-rams. But no; there was nothing to be seen but +a broad ditch encircling the summit of the hill, and now completely +covered with trees and bushes, so that the bottom of the great trench +formed a walk, where, even at mid-day, the sun's rays were completely +shut out, and where the nightingale would sing, all day as well as all +night long. + +I am ashamed to say that all three boys very soon tired of botanising, +and were searching about the shady paths for anything or nothing, as the +case might be. Now it was after butterflies; now the discordant cry of +the jay told of its nest being, at hand; while every now and then the +scampering rustle of a rabbit amidst the underwood would start the boys +off in full chase, and in almost every instance the fruit of their hunt +was, seeing the little white tail of the rabbit as its owner scuffled +down its hole under some hazel stub. Once, while they were deep in the +thickest shade, Philip gave a regular jump, for a great brown owl +started from its roosting-place in an oak-tree, and softly and slowly +flapped its way down the dell, but soon to have its flight quickened by +a host of sandmartins, which began to mob the stolid-looking old fellow, +till they all passed out of sight in a curve of the pathway. + +Mr and Mrs Inglis were resting in a rustic seat placed opposite one of +the openings in the trees, where there was a splendid view right out to +sea; and while Mr Inglis was scanning the horizon with his telescope, +the lads felt themselves quite at liberty to have a good ramble. Their +first excursion was right round the hill, down in the trench, and here +there was plenty to have taken their attention for a day: there was an +ant-hill, swarming with those great black ants found in the woods, whose +hill looks one lightly shovelled-up collection of earth: then, close at +hand, they heard the regular "tip-tap" of the great green woodpecker; +the harsh "pee-pee-peen" of the wryneck; while, from far off, floating +upon the soft breeze, came the sweet bell-tones of the cuckoo. Directly +after, came again the harsh cry of the jay, to be succeeded by the soft +cooing of the cushat doves; and every interval was filled up by the +bursts of song from the small finches, thrushes, and other denizens of +the wooded hill. In one fir tree there was a pair of tiny gold-crested +wrens, beautiful little birds, which seemed to consider that their +insignificance was quite enough to keep them from harm. So tame were +they that they could have been struck down by a stick, which would have +been their fate but for the interposition of Philip, who seized his +brother's arm as he was raising his hand to deal the blow. In a +box-tree they found the pretty covered-in nest of a bottle-tit, +beautifully compact, with its tiny opening or doorway--feather-eaved--at +the side. It was a great temptation, and hard to resist was the sight +of that nest; it was only about five feet from the ground, and they +could have cut off the branch and brought it away with the nest +uninjured; but they contented themselves with marking the spot by +cutting an arrow in the bark of one of the beech-trees, and promising +themselves that they would have the nest when the birds had done with +it. All at once a bird fluttered from a bush close by--a bird with a +large head and marked in the wings with a good deal of white, and off +went the boys in chase; but almost at the first start, Philip stumbled +by catching his foot in a long bramble runner, and went down sprawling +amongst the heather, with Harry upon his back, for he could not pull up +time enough to prevent stumbling over his brother. Away went Fred, all +alone, and very soon he captured the strange bird, for its wing had been +broken; but the muscles of the great beak it had were in a good state of +preservation, as Fred soon knew to his cost, by the nip the prisoned +bird gave him. + +Fred shouted out with the pain, but he had grown more stoical since his +sojourn in the country, and he held on tightly to his prize, which Harry +declared, when he saw it, was a chaffinch with a swelled head; but +afterwards, when they brought it to Mr Inglis, he told the boys it was +a fine male specimen of the hawfinch, or grosbeak, rather a rare bird in +the British Isles. A temporary cage was made for the prisoner by tying +him up in a pocket-handkerchief, and then the party continued their +ramble, finding fresh objects to take their attention at every step. +Once a weasel ran out into the path, sat up a moment to look at the +strangers, and then disappeared on the other side. + +Fred was for giving chase, but his cousins gave him to understand how +fruitless such a task would be; so he gave up his intention, and onward +they still went, with fresh beauties springing up before them every +minute. If they had been botanically disposed, they might have filled +their boxes with mosses and lichens, from the tiniest green to the +bright orange golden that clung round the branches and sprays of the +bushes. Some of the beeches were almost covered with grey or creamy +patches, of the most beautiful patterns and tints; while wherever a +rotten bough, or fallen tree, lay upon the ground, the moss seemed to +have taken full possession, and completely covered it with a velvety +pile. + +"I'm so thirsty, Phil," said Harry, all at once; "where's the old +spring?" + +"Oh! ever so far down the hill; and I don't know which side we are on +now. Let's get back to Papa: I know there's something in the basket. +Come along." + +"It's no use to go back," said Harry, "let's go straight forward; they +can't be far-off; I'll shout." + +And shout he did, when a reply came from no very distant spot; so they +struck off in the direction from which the sound proceeded, and soon +found themselves again by the trench, where a portion of the gravelly +soil had crumbled away, leaving the side so steep that Philip had to +jump down about five feet before he could descend further. Harry +thought this a capital chance for a practical joke, and gave a heavy +stamp with his heel, so as to send a small avalanche of gravel and +stones down upon his brother. But Harry had not calculated rightly this +time, for Philip, as he heard the stones coming, made a buck leap, and +came several feet lower down the side of the trench amongst the bushes; +whilst Harry, by his stamp, loosened about a cartload of gravel, and, in +company with Fred, went down with it, and they were buried up to the +knees in the loose soil. + +The first sensation felt was fear; but, upon finding that there was no +further mischief to apprehend, Harry burst out laughing; Fred extricated +himself, for he was in the loosest part of the heap of _debris_; while +Philip, who was to have been the victim, seeing that his brother was +stuck fast, indulged in a kind of triumphant dance round him, softly +punching his head, and, of course, making the soil tighter at every +jump. + +"Oh! don't, Phil," said Harry; "pull a fellow out--there's a good chap." + +But Philip would not, and threatened to leave him to his fate; so Harry +appealed to Fred, and at last, by his assistance, got one leg out, when +freeing the other proved an easy task. After which his lordship had to +sit down and pull off his boots, to empty out the gravel and sand. + +Meanwhile Fred was looking at the place where the earth had crumbled +down, for his curiosity had been excited by what at first sight appeared +to be a bit of old iron, of a very peculiar shape, and then, just beyond +it, what bore the appearance of a bone, but so earthy that it crumbled +under his foot. + +"I say; look here," said he, pointing to something half enclosed in +earth; "what's that?" + +"Why, it's a skull," said Philip, coming up. + +"You're a skull!" said Harry, leisurely buttoning up his boots again. + +"Well, come and look," said Philip. + +"Not I," said Harry; "you're up to some tricks." + +"I'm not, I tell you," said Philip; "it's a skull, and there's another +bit of one, and some bones; and here's an old farthing, such a thick +one, and so badly made; and, ugh! why, that's a bit of jawbone, with all +the teeth fallen out." + +Just then Harry came up to them and saw that, indeed, they had hit upon +something more curious--if less attractive--than anything they had +before been that day. + +"Why, this isn't a farthing," said Fred, who had been examining the +coin; "I know what it is, it's a Roman coin. My Papa has got one, +something like it." + +Just then they heard Mr Inglis calling close at hand, and Philip +bounded off to fetch him and tell of their discovery. This hastened the +Squire's steps, and very soon he was carefully inspecting what the boys +had laid bare. He immediately confirmed Fred's opinion that the coin +was Roman, and also said that it was of silver, and appeared to bear the +name of Constantine. Fred's piece of old iron was unmistakably the +blade of a sword, but almost completely eaten away, and the bones and +two skulls were directly pronounced to be human; but they crumbled away +to dust almost immediately. + +"Bravo, boys," said Mr Inglis at last; "you have indeed made a +discovery. I have long been under the impression that this old trench +must contain some curious antiquities, but never thought to see them +laid bare in so singular a manner. We must have spades and pickaxes up +here to-morrow, if we can get permission: but let's turn over the gravel +with our sticks; we may, perhaps, find something more to-day." + +"But won't the skulls and bones be nasty, and poisonous, uncle?" said +Fred. + +Mr Inglis smiled, and then said, "No, my boy. You have read how that +God made Adam of the dust of the earth, and how that it is said, `To +dust thou shalt return,' and here you see how that it is so. Touch that +bone ever so lightly, and you sea it has crumbled away to `dust of the +earth!' God has so arranged, by His great wisdom, that the earth shall +deprive everything of its ill odour and poisonous nature when buried +therein, so that even in some great pit upon a battle-field where, +perhaps, scores--of the slain had been covered-in, in the course of time +nothing would be found there but rich soil, for our bodies are +chemically composed of nothing but salts and water. I do not mean what +we commonly call salt, which is chloride of sodium, but of earthy +salts." + +"Well, but how can that be, Papa?" said Harry. "Has it ever been +proved?" + +"Oh! yes, my boy; and in no way more simply than by the very people who +dug this trench. What did they often do with their dead, Harry?" + +"Why, buried them, didn't they?" said Harry. "Oh! no, I know; they used +to make a great wicker idol, and put them in and burn them." + +"Why, those were the Ancient Britons, who used to do that with their +prisoners," said Fred. + +"Oh, ah; so it was," said Harry; "I forgot." + +"Why, they used to burn them; didn't they, Papa?" said Philip. + +"To be sure they did," said his father. "And what were their urns for?" + +"Oh! I don't know," said Harry, "if it wasn't to make tea with." + +"For shame, Hal," said Mr Inglis, good-humouredly. "Why, the ashes of +the dead were collected and preserved in these cinereal urns; and what +are ashes but earthy salts? Of course, in the process of burning, the +water would be entirely driven off. But, look, Fred has turned up +another coin." + +For want of more effective tools than walking-sticks, the search for +relics was not very successful. Fred found another coin, and Mr Inglis +turned out two more; but nothing else was discovered, though it was +evident that a protracted search would lead to the discovery of perhaps +many curious antiquities; for Mr Inglis said that this had been a very +important station in the time of the Roman occupation of Britain; and he +regretted that the owner of that property was not a person who took an +interest in such matters. + +Mr Inglis tried very hard to raise one of the skulls; but although the +one that had been in the most perfect state at first seemed hard enough +to roll down the slope, yet, upon being touched, it seemed to be nothing +else but earth. + +At last the signal for starting was given, and, laden with treasures, +the little party slowly moved homeward. The walk was lovely, for the +sun was sinking behind them, so that the whole landscape and the far-off +sea were flooded with the golden light. The heat of the day, too, was +passed, and for the most part they walked home in the pleasant shade of +the trees, while, one by one, as the golden sunset paled, the moths and +bats came out; the night-jar took his hawking flight round the trees; +the beetles boomed and whirred; and just as they left the wood, as if to +say farewell, an owl cried out, "Tu--whoo--oo!" and then was perfectly +silent again. The evening now seemed so cool and fresh that the boys +forgot their fatigue, and kept on chatting and planning for future +excursions till they reached the gates of the Grange, just as the sun +ceased to gild the weathercock at the top of the church spire. + +"Now, boys, be quick," said Mr Inglis, "for I'm sure we all want tea +after such a walk as we have had; so hurry, hurry, and come down again +quickly; and after tea we will see whether we can find out to what +period the coins belong." + +If ever Mr Inglis was quickly obeyed it was upon this occasion, and, as +to making a meal, I think no boys ever could--but, there--it is not fair +to talk about it, for anybody would have felt hungry after such a ramble +through the woods and over the hills. But at last the meal was ended, +and Mr Inglis brought out his coins, and one or two books of reference. +His first movement was to try and clean off the rust of about fifteen +centuries--which time must have elapsed since they were last employed as +"current money of the merchant:" but the efforts were not very +successful, neither were the attempts at deciphering the inscriptions, +which were very faint and illegible; so he gave up the task for that +evening; for, if the truth must be told, Mr Inglis was, like the boys, +very tired, and not much disposed for study. As to Harry, he expressed +an opinion to his cousin in a very low tone, that the Romans were all +bother, and so was their language. But, by way of excuse, it must be +said that Harry was very tired; and when people are very tired, they +often say very cross and very stupid things; and this must have been the +case at this particular moment, or Harry would never have made such a +remark to his cousin Fred. + +Mr Inglis afterwards had a long correspondence with the owner of the +property, relative to the advisability of making excavations in the old +intrenchment; but nothing satisfactory came of it, for there did not +seem to be any disposition to grant Mr Inglis's request; and, +therefore, the place remained unexamined. + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +HIGH FLYING. + +The next morning the boys had their regular run in the garden before +breakfast, and then Harry divulged the plan of their morning's +amusement--for the next day was to be devoted to fishing at Lord +Copsedale's lake, when they hoped to persuade Mr Inglis to accompany +them; the present day, which was first chosen, not being considered +suitable, as Mr Inglis was going from home. Directly after breakfast, +they set about the first part of Harry's plan, which was to get all the +baits and tackle ready for the next day--a most business-like +proceeding, but quite in opposition to Harry and Philip's general habit, +for they in most cases left their preparations to the last moment. But +not so now, for, as I said before, they wanted Papa to accompany them, +and they well knew that he would not go unless there were plenty of good +baits, and the tackle all in order. The first thing to be done seemed +to be to get some good worms from down by the cucumber-frames, and then +put them in some cool damp moss; but Philip opposed this, and showed +some little degree of foresight, for, said he-- + +"We have never had the wasps' nest out of the tree yet; and we shall +want the grubs, for Papa likes them for the trout and chub, and we shall +want old Sam to split the tree up with his big wedges; while, if we go +poking about round the cucumber-frames first, he'll turn grumpy, and +won't split the old willow-tree for us." + +"That's right, Phil, so let's go and get the tree split first; and then +we'll turn up the old cucumber bed in fine style," said Harry. + +Sam was soon found, but Sam was busy. Sam was weeding the "inguns," and +"inguns was more consekens than the nasty wopses." So Sam had to be +coaxed and cajoled; but Sam would not be either coaxed or cajoled, for +he was very grumpy indeed; and the reason was, that he had had the lawn +to mow that morning, and there had been no dew, and the consequence was, +the grass, instead of being easy to cut from its crispness and dampness, +was very limp and wiry, so that poor Sam had a very hard and +unsatisfactory job, and the effect of it all was that he was as limp and +wiry as the grass had been. It was of no use to say, "Do, Sam," or "Do, +please, Sam," or "That's a good old chap, now," or anything of that +kind; for Sam weeded away viciously amongst the onions, and turned a +deaf ear to everything; so Harry, the impetuous, was beginning to grow +cross too, and to repent that they had not obtained the worms at first, +when Sam showed the weak side of his nature, and from that moment he was +a conquered man. + +"Ugh!" said Sam, straightening himself with a groan, and rubbing his +back where it ached, "Ugh! how blazing hot the sun is--always does shine +like that when I be weeding. Oh, my back! Oh, dear!" And then Sam +groaned, and stooped to his work again, saying, "And nobody never asks +nobody to have so much as a drop o' beer." + +"I'll fetch you some beer, Sam, if you'll go with us," said Harry. + +But Sam didn't want any beer. Oh, no! He could do his work without +beer. He never did do more than wet his lips; and so on. But Sam had +given up the key of his fortress, and very soon Harry had been up to the +house to fetch a jug of foaming, country, home-brewed ale, such as would +really refresh the old man in his toil; for the day had set in +excessively hot, and bade fair to become worse--if such an expression is +not a contradiction. So Harry took the cool jug up to the old man, but +"No! he didn't want beer!" + +But he did, though he would not own to it, and what was more, he wanted +coaxing; and until he was coaxed, Sam growled away as much as ever, and +weeded his onions. + +"I say, Sam," said Harry, with a knowing grin upon his countenance, and +pushing the jug just under the old man's nose, "I say, how good it +smells!" + +Sam couldn't help it, he got a good whiff of the foaming ale in his +nostrils, and he surrendered, sighed, and stretched out his hand for the +jug, and then took such a hearty draught, that it seemed as though he +never wanted to breathe again. + +"Ha-a-a-a," said Sam at last, with a comical look at Harry. + +"Shall I fetch you the wedges, Sam?" said Harry. + +"Eh?" said Sam. + +"Shall I fetch the wedges?" said Harry again. + +Sam did not answer for a minute, for his face was buried in the beer +jug; but when he took it away again, he gave another sigh, wiped his +mouth with the back of his hand, and then said in a very different tone +of voice to the one he had spoken in before-- + +"Well, I 'spose you may as well." + +So the wedges and the great mallet were soon fetched, when they all went +off to the fallen willow, which soon gave way to the blows bestowed upon +it, and displayed a large hollow containing the papery nest of the +wasps. + +Fred gazed with astonishment at the curious structure, with its +innumerable cells, many of which contained the grubs mentioned in +connection with the fishing excursion. The poor wasps were lying dead +by the hundred, and were shaken out, brushed into a heap, and then +buried by Sam, who seemed to have an idea that, if this latter process +were not attended to, they would most probably come to life again. +There was no fear of that, however, for the suffocating had been most +effectually performed, and not a living wasp was visible. + +By means of a little careful cutting, the nest was removed from the +hollow tree almost entire, and, without remembering to say "thank you" +to old Sam, the boys carried the nest up to the house, and then went in +search of their worms. Harry soon fetched a fork, and Philip carried +the moss-bag, while Fred, who hardly liked to touch the wriggling, +"nasty things," as he called them, looked on. + +Now Fred was not much of a student of nature after all, or he would not +have called worms "nasty things," but have taken more notice of them as +they were turned out of their damp bed, and seen that they were clothed +with a skin whose surface reflected colours of prismatic hue, as bright +and perfect as those seen upon some pearly shells. He would have seen +how wonderfully the worms were constructed for the fulfilment of their +apportioned position in the animal kingdom; how, without legs, or the +peculiar twist of the snake, they crept swiftly over the ground by means +of their many-ringed bodies; and also learned that, by their constant +tunnelling of the ground, they prevented the water that sank from the +surface from lying stagnant amidst the roots of the trees, and thus +rotting them, but enabled it to fertilise larger spaces. Then, too, by +their peculiar habit of drawing down dead leaves and straws, and small +twigs, how all these rotted beneath the surface, and helped to renew the +strength of the earth. Their casts, too, those peculiar little heaps +which they throw up at the mouth of their dwellings, formed another +source of fertility to the earth, by bringing up from beneath the +surface unspent soil, and spreading it upon the top. + +However, I must say, that I believe the boys thought of nothing else +then, but of getting the finest red worms, and those marked with yellow +rings round the body, as being especial favourites with the perch at the +great lake. + +At last a sufficiency had been obtained and put on one side in a cool +place; and now a tin box with a pierced lid was brought out half filled +with sand, and the boys started off to the village butcher's, to get +some gentles or maggots. This time they did not choose the path by +Water Lane, as on the morning when they went to buy the new +water-bottle, but strolled round by the road, talking earnestly of the +sports of the following day. Fred listened very attentively as they +trudged along, and rather strange were the ideas he had stored up +respecting the big lake by the time they reached the butcher's; it +contained fish of wonderful size--monsters, which always lay snugly at +the bottom of deep holes beneath overhanging trees--such profoundly deep +holes! and when, by a wonderful chance, one of these enormous fellows +was hooked, down he went to the bottom and struck his tail into the mud, +so that it was impossible to draw him out, and then of course the line +broke. + +"Ah," Harry said, "there were wonderful fish in that great clear-watered +lake, with its bright gurgling stream, that came dashing down from the +hills, and entered one end to leave it at the other in a cascade, that +went plashing down the mossy stones, and along in a chain of streamlets +and pools through the dark recesses of the wood, till it joined the +river half a mile below. There never could have been such beautiful +golden-scaled carp anywhere else, nor such finely-marked perch; while, +as for eels, they were enormous. The pike, too, were said to be so +large and so tame, that they would come to the side to be fed, and +therefore would have been easy to capture; but his lordship forbade any +one pike-fishing in his lake, this being a luxury he retained for +himself, except on special occasions, when he invited a friend to join +him." + +By listening to such a glowing account of the place, Fred's mind grew so +excited that he would have liked to have started at once for the lake, +and feasted his eyes upon the wonders; but the butcher's was now +reached, and the fat dame in the shop having been told of the cause of +their visit, "Willum," the boy, was called, who armed himself with a +skewer, and then took the lads to a vile-smelling shed, where lay a heap +of sheepskins and a bullock's hide, and from the insides of these, and, +by poking out from amongst tendons of an old shin bone, the little tin +box was soon filled with the great, fat, white maggots, the end of whose +life, the beginning, and the middle, and all the rest of it, seemed to +be to keep continually in motion with one incessant wriggle. The boy +was recompensed with twopence, which he acknowledged by a tug at his +greasy hair with his dirty fingers; and then a visit was paid to the +shop, where Harry bought a sixpenny ball of twine, and three sheets of +white and blue tea paper for some particular purpose, which Philip +seemed to be alive to, but which they would not reveal to their cousin +until they returned home. + +Only one more visit had to be paid, and that was to a pretty whitewashed +and thatched cottage, standing in its little garden, which teemed with +fruit and flowers,--bright crimson Prince of Wales's feathers, +cockscombs, stocks, wallflowers, and roses; while gooseberries and +currants were bending the trees down to the earth with the weight heaped +upon the boughs. The window of this cottage was decorated with about +half a dozen glass jars, wherein reposed, in all their sticky richness, +the toffee, lemon stick, and candy which old Mrs Birch used to make for +the delectation of the boys and girls round. She had no +brilliantly-coloured sweets; no sticks veined with blue, green, yellow, +and red upon pure white ground; no crystallised drops, or those of clear +rose-colour, for all her "suckers," as they were called in the +neighbourhood, were home-made, and she used to show all her customers +the golden bright brass pan which hung upon the wall by the fire, as the +one in which all her succulent sweets were made. And where indeed were +there such others? Even town-bred Fred, who had feasted on Parisian +bonbons, and made himself ill by eating strange fruits off +Christmas-trees, owned to the purity and delectability of old Mrs +Birch's "butterscotch;" while, as to the brown lemon stick, it was +beyond praise. Capital customers were the boys to the dame, who was a +wonderful business-like old body in her spotted blue print dress, and +clean white muslin handkerchief pinned tightly over her neck; and she +told the boys in confidence what a wonderfully extended trade she might +do if she gave credit; but how determined she was never to carry on +business except upon ready-money principles; which had been her +intention ever since William, the butcher's boy, ran up a score of +tenpence three-farthings,--a score that had never been paid to that day, +and, what was more, the old lady expected that it never would be. + +The boys then returned in a state of cloyey stickiness, and very soon +finished their preparations for the following day; and at last, by dint +of coaxing, Philip persuaded Cook to make a little paste; Harry borrowed +the housemaid's scissors, and then obtained from the tool-shed a couple +of straight laths. These he fashioned to his required size, and then, +by means of a piece of waxed twine, securely bound one to the other in +the form of a Latin cross, the upright limb being about eight inches +longer than the others. These were now kept in their places by a +tightly-tied string passing from one extremity to the other of the limbs +of the cross; and then by means of a loop of string the whole was +balanced, and found to be equal in weight as far as the two side limbs +of the cross were concerned. + +"Why, you are going to make a kite," said Fred. + +"To be sure we are," said Harry. + +"But the top ought to be round, and not made like that. That won't be +half a kite." + +"Won't it?" said Harry: "it will be more than that, for it will be a +whole one." + +"But it won't fly," said Fred. + +"Fly!" said Philip. "It will fly twice as well as your stupid +London-made kites; you see if it don't." + +Harry was not a bit disturbed by his cousin's criticism, but continued +his job to the end, pasting away in the most spirited manner, till he +had made a very respectable-looking kite, half blue and half white, +which he then stood on one side to dry, just as the dinner-bell rang. + +Directly after dinner the boys set to work to make a tail for the kite, +and also fitted it with wings--Fred being employed meanwhile in winding +the string off the ball on to a stick, and joining any pieces that might +exist, in case of an accident when the kite was up, as it would have +been no joke for it to have broken loose. But Fred was not very well up +in his task, and somehow or other made a perfect Laocoon of himself with +the string, and got at last into a regular tangle, so that fully half an +hour was taken up in endeavours to get it right again, which was only +done at last with a knife, and at the expense of many yards of string. + +At length all was in readiness, and away they went into the fields to +fly the machine that had taken so much time to manufacture. + +"Now, I shall get it up," said Harry, "because I made it; so you go and +hold up down at the bottom of the field." + +Away went Philip with the kite, Harry unwinding the string as he went; +when they found out that they had got to the wrong way of the wind, and +must change places. This was at length done, and then, when all was +ready-- + +"Now then," cried Harry, starting off to run, but Philip held the kite +too tightly, and the consequence was the sudden check snapped the +string, and down went the kite again upon the grass. The string was +tied, and a fresh trial made, and this time with rather better success, +for up went the kite at a great rate for thirty or forty yards, when +over it tipped, and came down head first, with what Philip termed a +"great pitch," to the ground. + +"She wants more tail," said Harry; so, by way of balance, two pocket +handkerchiefs were tied to the end of the paper tail, and another +attempt was made, but still without success, for on starting again, +although the kite ascended capitally, yet when a little way in the air, +Harry turned round to loosen out more string as he went, and running +backwards, went down head over heels upon the grass, let go of the +string, and away went the kite in a similar way to Harry, but with the +stick of string bobbing along the ground, and every now and then +checking the kite by catching in the grassy strands. + +Philip and Fred tried hard to cut it off and catch it, but it was of no +use, for before they reached the string the kite had lodged in the +cedar, and was ignominiously napping about as it hung by its tail. + +"Now, there's a bore," said Harry, coming up, puffing and panting; "we +shan't get it down without a ladder." + +"Pull the string and try," said Philip. + +Harry did as his brother said, and pulled, and pulled, and at last set +the kite at liberty, but with the loss of half its tail, which hung in +the tree, with the two pocket handkerchiefs fluttering about. + +"Why, I can climb up and get that," said Harry, "I know." + +"Well, why don't you try?" said Fred; for he had lost much of the +nervous feeling which used to affect him when anything of this kind was +in progress. + +"He can't get it," said Philip. "He couldn't get the sparrow's nest." + +But Harry stripped off his jacket, and, by means of a lift from Fred, +got upon one of the great horizontal boughs, and soon contrived to reach +the one to which the kite tail was fluttering. But Harry was at the +thick end, by the tree trunk, and the tail was twenty feet further off, +at the thin end; and, as those who have tested the wood in their lead +pencils well know, cedar is very brittle. Now, Harry was no coward, but +he knew that he would be laughed at if he did not succeed, so, in spite +of the danger, he prepared to creep along the branch, a very awkward +thing to do from the numbers of small projecting twigs, and the prickly +nature of the spiny leaves. Still he persevered, and crept along a foot +at a time, and nearer and nearer to the kite tail, till at last the +branch began to bend terribly, bringing his feet almost in contact with +the bough below him. Still he went on, and stretching forth his hand +snapped off the twig which held the kite tail, and threw it down. + +"Snip--snap--crish--crash--hurry--rustle--bump--bump--Bump!" went a +noise; and, in less time than it takes to tell it, down came Harry, +fully twenty feet, on to the grass at his brother's and cousin's feet, +where he remained, looking very white, frightened, and confused; when +all at once he got up, and making a wry face, said-- + +"There, I told you I could get it." + +Poor Harry! He was much quicker in his descent than ascent, for the +branch upon which he sat had snapped in two and let him down from bough +to bough of the thickly-limbed tree till he bumped on the last, which +was not above five feet from the ground, and at its extremities almost +touched. It was a most fortunate thing that he was not injured +seriously; but a few bruises and scratches were the full extent of the +damages done to his skin, though his trousers and shirt told a very +different tale. + +"There," said Harry again, rubbing the green off his trousers, "I told +you I could get the tail, didn't I?" + +His companions both acquiesced in the ability, but did not seem to +admire the plan of execution any more than Harry, who walked with a kind +of limp, and contented himself with holding the kite up when the repairs +were completed, and letting Philip run with the string, which he did so +successfully that the kite shot up into the air and seemed to be most +evenly balanced, for it rose and rose as the string was slowly let out, +till it attained a great height, and then seemed to be quite stationary +in that soft and gentle breeze; but all the while pulling hardly at the +string as though alive, and desirous to fly away and escape to some +far-off region--though its destination would most probably have been the +first tree, or, escaping that, the ground some quarter of a mile further +on. + +The boys sat down in the long grass, and took it in turns to hold the +stick, amusing themselves by sending disks of paper up to the kite as +messengers,--watching the paper circles as they skimmed lightly along +the string. But they were very untrustworthy messengers as a rule, for +some of them stopped half, quarter, or three-quarters of the distance up +the string, sometimes for a long time, until an extra puff of wind +started them again, and, what was worst of all, they none of them +brought back any person. + +They were sitting down, dreamily watching the kite and the great white +silvery clouds floating across the blue sky, looking like mountains in +some far-off land; some with snowy peaks, some with deep valleys; but +all with a background of that deep clear blue so little noticed by us +because so frequently to be seen. All at once came from the field on +the right, rising and falling, now apparently close at hand, then as +though far-off, a peculiar cry-- + +"Creek--creek; creek--creek," for about a dozen times, when there was a +pause. Then again, the peculiarly harsh creaking cry was heard. + +"There's an old meadow-crake," said Harry, who was holding the kite: +"let's go and hunt him up; perhaps we could catch it." + +"But who's to hold the kite?" said Philip. + +"Put the stick in the ground, and leave it," said Harry, at once setting +to work to put his project into execution, by thrusting one end of the +stick to which the string was tied deeply into a crack in the ground. + +"That won't be safe," said Fred, trying the stick. + +"Oh yes, it will," said Harry, giving it a stamp on the top with his +foot; "come along." + +"Creek--creek," sang the landrail or meadow-crake, apparently a quarter +of a mile off. + +"Come on, boys," said Harry again, running off with a half limp, closely +followed by Philip and Fred. + +"Creek--creek," said the landrail, far enough down, away from where it +had been heard at first. + +"There's an old stupid," said Philip; "why, where are you?" he +continued. + +"Creek--creek; creek--creek," said the landrail again, as though just +over the hedge, and not more than twenty yards from them. + +"Here's a gap," said Harry, creeping through the hedge; "look sharp; +we'll have him." + +Philip and Fred crept through, and stood with Harry, looking for the +bird they were to catch; but all was silent, except the hum of the +insects amidst the hedge flowers. + +"Now, there's an artful thing," said Philip. + +"Creek--creek; creek--creek," came from the bottom of the field again. + +"He's down at the bottom," said Harry, running along by the hedgerow +toward the bottom of the field. + +"Creck-creck; creek-creek," said the bird again, and away started Philip +in the opposite direction. + +"Creek--creek; creek--creek," said the bird again, close at hand. + +"Why, I shall catch it," said Fred to himself, for he had stayed behind; +and now started off into the middle of the field in quest of the +mysterious stranger. + +"Creek--creek; creek--creek; creek--creek," cried the bird, apparently +here, there, and everywhere, but always invisible; and up and down, and +round and round, ran the boys, until they all stood together at last, +wiping the perspiration from their faces, and fanning themselves with +their caps; while the provoking "Creek-creek" kept on as bad as ever for +a while, and then all at once stopped; and, though they waited and +listened attentively for a long while, not another sound could they +hear. + +"Ain't it funny," said Philip, "that you never can tell where those +things are?" + +"I think they must run very fast through the grass, so as to keep +seeming to be in different places," said Harry. + +"Perhaps there's more than one," said Fred; "and they keep calling to +one another." + +"Ah! perhaps there may be; but I think there's only one. Did you ever +read the `Boys' Country Book,' Fred? It's the jolliest book that was +ever written, ever so much better than `Sandford and Merton.' There's a +bit in it about some boys playing truant from school, and they go +hunting after a corncrake, as they call it there, and get into no end of +trouble, and jump over a hedge into a garden, and break the glass, and +get taken before a magistrate. Oh! I did like that book so. Phil and +I always have had a hunt after the corncrakes since we read that; but we +don't get taken before the magistrates for it." + +The lads now returned towards their play-field to let the kite down, for +it was growing towards tea-time; but they walked along, very slowly, for +they were hot and tired with their exertions. They were walking along +by the hedge-side, when something took Harry's attention, and made him +leap over the great bed of nettles, which rose from the ditch, to the +further bank. + +"Look here, boys," he shouted; "here's a jolly nest, full of eggs; only +look." + +The others were at his side in a moment, and, sure enough, Harry had +found a nest in the bottom of the hedge worth finding, for it was the +nest of one of the hens, which had been laying astray till there were +fifteen eggs collected together, from which the old truant no doubt +meant to have a fine brood of chickens; and perhaps would have done so +but for Harry's discovery. + +The eggs were put in Fred's handkerchief, for Harry's and Philip's were +left a hundred yards high in the air, when they went in chase of the +meadow-crake; and then they went across the field to where the kite +stick was left. They were at first too intent upon the eggs,--which +they counted three or four times over,--to think of the kite; but when +they did, and came to look, _the stick was gone_; the string was gone; +The Kite Was Gone! There was no mistake about it; and though, as a +matter of course, if the stick went, the string and kite must go too, +yet the boys seemed to make the discovery in the above order, and thus +have I recorded the facts. + +"It's blown away," said Fred; "let's go and find it;" and off he started +in the teeth of the wind. + +"What's the good of that?" said Philip, shouting after his cousin; "it +will be this way." + +Fred returned as hard as he could; and off the boys started in, as +nearly as possible, a line with the direction in which they left the +kite flying. Every now and then they had to make a deviation, but still +they persevered, looking into every garden, peering into every tree, +till they were about a mile from home. Nobody had seen the kite, nor +yet heard of it; so nothing remained but to trudge wearily back--hot, +fagged, and low-spirited, for, as Fred said, "It was such a beauty!" + +"And then there were our two little white silk handkerchiefs," said +Philip. + +"And all that great ball of string," said Harry. + +And then they trudged on again in silence. + +"Oh! do carry these eggs a bit, somebody," said Fred; "they are so +heavy." + +But they were not so heavy as they were at first, for Fred had managed +to give them a rap up against something, and broken two or three,--the +rich yolks having filtered through the handkerchief, and left only the +shells behind. + +"Yah!" said Harry, as he took hold of the handkerchief, and placed one +hand underneath to steady it while he got fast hold. "Yah! how nasty," +he said, holding up his sticky hand, and then rubbing it upon the grass. + +In spite of the disappointment they had just met with, they all laughed +heartily at Harry and the broken eggs, and soon after turned into the +gate, and went in at the side-door--hurrying in, for it was past +tea-time; when the boys stared, for the first thing that met their gaze +upon entering the hall was the blue and white kite, with the ball of +string neatly wound up, and the tail arranged carefully from top to +bottom, and all leaning up against the wall as though it had never been +used. The cheer the boys gave at the discovery brought out Mr and Mrs +Inglis, when it came out that the Squire had strolled into the field to +speak to the boys, and found the kite flying itself, with the breeze +rather on the increase; and not seeing anybody, and at the same time +thinking the kite might break loose, he had wound it in, and taken it +with him to the house. As may be supposed, the tired and dispirited +feeling that oppressed the boys left them in a moment; and then they +displayed the riches of the nest they had found in the bottom of the +hedge, of course making exception of the three eggs Master Fred had +demolished during their search for the kite. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +A DAY'S FISHING AT THE LAKE. + +Somehow or another nearly all my chapters begin with what the boys were +doing in the early morning; and, after all, I do not know that I could +begin them at a better time, for really and truly these chapters were +begun early in the bright summer mornings, when the dew was sparkling on +the grass, and all the birds warbling away as though they had a certain +amount of singing to do, and wanted to have it finished before the heat +of the day set in. And now on this particular morning, which, for a +summer morn, is all that can be desired--I mean the morning that I am +about to describe, not this one upon which I am writing--up jumped +Harry, and, as though in dread of some trick being played, up, almost +simultaneously, sprang Philip and Fred; had a good souse in their cold +water basins; and, having hastily dressed, ran down to see that +everything was ready for the projected fishing trip. + +There the things were: rods, lines, hooks, winches, landing-net, baits, +ground-bait; in short, everything, from the basket that was to hold the +fish, down to the tiny hook that was to catch them. + +Breakfast finished, the dog-cart was brought round to the door and soon +packed with tackle, baits, and baskets; for beside the fish-basket, +there was another one that seemed to go by the rules of contrary, for +whereas the fish-basket went out empty and came back, or ought rather to +have come back, full,--this other basket invariably went out fall, and +as invariably came back empty. There were no half measures about it, +for it always came back according to the same rule. But then it was not +a fish-basket; I don't think it ever did have fish in but once, and then +the fish was pickled--pickled salmon. But it was a capital basket, a +regular cornucopia of a basket, and used to disclose when opened such +treasures as would have gratified any hungry person; and as for the +scent that it exhaled, why the very flies from far enough used to come +buzz-buzzing about, so ravished were they by the rich odour. + +Harry brought the basket out to put in the cart, and he gave such a +satisfied grin as he did so, and smelt at one corner of the lid, +smacking his lips afterwards with quite a hungry sound, as though he had +not just had a regular hearty breakfast, and left off eating last of +everybody at the table. But I have said before that Harry was a +terrible trencherman; and I almost wonder that the school authorities +where he went did not insist upon a higher rate of pay for him. + +Mr Inglis took the reins and mounted to his seat, and the boys to +theirs. "Good-byes" were waved to Mrs Inglis in the porch, and then +away started the horse, with such a vigorous leap, that the two boys, +Harry and Fred, who were behind, nearly rolled out of their places, and +only held on by grasping the iron side-rail pretty tightly. + +What a delightful affair a country ride is on a bright morning before +the sun has attained to sufficient height to render his beams +oppressive! There's a soft breeze plays upon the cheek, and rustles +through the hair; the distant view looks more beautiful than later in +the day, for the shades are deeper, and there is generally a soft haze +lingering by the wood-side, where the sun has not yet driven it away; +soft and shady look the great horse-chestnut trees, although the +blossom-spikes have given way to little prickly seed-vessels, but the +great fingered fronds droop gracefully towards the ground, and form one +of the thickest of leafy shades. At this hour the sun has not drunk up +all the dew-drops, and bright they look wherever they hang in little +pearly rows, reflecting the sun in the most dazzling of colours; and yet +how often we pass all these, and hundreds of other beauties of the +country, either unnoticing or merely regarding the way in which they +blend into one beautiful whole. + +Mr Inglis had been persuaded into making one of the party, and +delighted the boys were with the success of their coaxing, each being +ready to take the credit of the success to himself: though the real +cause of Mr Inglis's agreeing to accompany them was that he thought +they would be better taken care of, and less likely to get into any +scrape. + +The wheels spun round merrily, and all congratulated themselves upon the +glorious day they had for their excursion, a day that lent its +brightness to everything, and would, no doubt, have sent the party home +quite happy if not a fish had been caught. It was a pretty drive, +between waving cornfields and oak-groves, and over a golden furzy +common, where Harry had to jump down and hold a gate open for the car to +pass through, and again on the far side; and then down in a valley where +a rivulet crossed the road, at the sight of which the horse pretended to +be dreadfully alarmed, and capered and frisked about as much as to say +he dared not wet his feet, nor attempt to cross; until Mr Inglis was +reduced to one of two expedients,--to get down and lead the horse +across, or to give him a little wholesome punishment with the whip. Now +bright sparkling water is delightful and cool in the summer-time, but, +as the pleasure is lost when the feet are bathed with boots and trousers +on, Mr Inglis gave up all idea of walking through the water, so he +gathered up the reins, and taking the whip, which had stuck unused by +his side, gave Mr Obstinate a sharp cut, when away he darted to one +side of the road, and expressed himself by his actions as ready to leap +over the hedge. But this was not required, so he was backed, and +another smart application of the whip administered, when away he darted +to the other side, and even placed his forefeet upon the bank; but now +Mr Inglis took him regularly in hand, and, turning round, trotted him +back for a hundred yards, and then, tightening the reins, drove straight +at the rivulet, which was only a few inches deep. But it was of no use, +for the stupid thing had evidently taken it into its head that it must +be drowned if the stream were forded; so, stopping short, it stood up on +its hind legs and began to beat the air with its fore feet as though +dancing. A smart crack from the whip brought the tiresome animal down +again upon all-fours, and, reluctant as the driver was to punish the +poor brute, he now found that it was absolutely necessary, and sharply +and vigorously applied the lash to its sides. + +For a minute or so the question seemed to be--"Who shall be master?" and +then the horse gave in, as much as to say, "Oh! don't; it hurts," and, +starting forward, gave a leap that cleared the dreadful stream, and +nearly upset the dog-cart into the bargain; and then, as though +fearfully alarmed at what it had left behind, the horse tried hard to +break into a gallop to get away as fast as possible; but a strong hand +was at the reins, and very soon old Tom settled down again into an easy +trot, although dreadfully ruffled in his nerves by the late dread +adventure. + +And now Harry had to get down again to open another gate, which he did +before they saw that a woman was coming out of a pretty lodge just +inside, and then, for a quarter of a mile, they drove through a fine +avenue of shady trees, to look down which seemed to be like peering +through a long leafy green tunnel, at the end of which could be seen +portions of the noble castellated mansion of Lord Copsedale, built in +imitation of the feudal homes of former days, but with a greater +attention to comfort and the admission of light and air. + +Mr Inglis drove into the large court, and, leaving the horse with one +of the stablemen, the party strolled down past the great walled garden +and the quaint parterre, past the head of the lake, where the water +rushed bubbling and foaming in, and where they could see the roach lying +by hundreds; and then along by the green edge of the lake to where, in a +semicircular sweep, a well-kept piece of lawn-like turf, backed up with +a mighty hedge of evergreens, formed about as delightfully retired a +spot as could be found anywhere for a fishing-party to make their +resting-place, and dip their lines in the deep water,--here and there +overshadowed with trees, down beneath whose roots, in the great holes, +the finest fish were said to lie. The water looked in beautiful +condition for fishing, not being too clear; and pushing about amidst the +lilies and great water weeds that occupied the surface, in many places +could be seen great chub and carp, snapping every now and then at the +flies, but in a lazy, half-hungry sort of manner. + +The spots Mr Inglis chose for fishing were three, reserving one for +himself, and all these were well clear of weeds, and at a few yards' +distance the one from the other, so as to insure quiet,--about the +greatest requisite for making a basket of fish; for the finny denizens +of the water seem to be as keenly alive to strange sounds as they are to +strange sights, and the unlucky youngster who laughs, and talks, and +shows himself freely upon the bank of the place where he is fishing, may +fully expect that the fish near him will all be on the move, and seek +for quiet lodgings in some other part of the pond, lake, or river. They +don't seem to mind seeing one of their relations hooked, and then dart +frantically about in all directions, as though seized with a mad +exploring fit, till, panting and tired out, he is dragged to the side +and landed. They do not seem to mind this, for they will follow the +example of the hooked fish, and eagerly take the bait one after another, +until, perhaps, the greater part of a shoal is captured; but the angler +must be upon his guard, and mind that the wary fish do not catch sight +of him. + +And now rods and lines were fitted together; hooks baited; ground-bait +lightly thrown in, and the business of the day commenced; though, for my +part, I could have wished for no pleasanter business than to have sat in +the shade watching the fish and water insects darting about in the lake, +and the myriads of insects in the air, to whom the lake seemed to +possess so great an attraction that they kept falling in, and every now +and then were captured by some hungry fish. I could, I say, have wished +for no pleasanter business than watching all this, and the flecked +clouds far up in the sky, so fine and soft, that they seemed almost +melting away into the delicate blue above them. But there was other +business for the visitors, for the fish fed well that day, and roach and +carp of small size were freely landed. This was not all that was +wanted, however, for the desire of the anglers was to hook one of the +great carp that every now and then kept springing almost out of the +water, far out in the middle of the lake, and making a splash that of +itself alone whispered of pounds weight. But, no; the old fellows would +not be caught,--they left that to the younger branches of their family, +who fell in tolerable numbers into the basket brought from Hollowdell. + +All at once Fred called out that he had caught a big one, and, from the +way his rod bent, this was evidently the case--the fish seeming to be +making determined efforts to perform the feat described by Harry and +Philip--namely, that of sticking his tail into the mud and there +anchoring himself. Mr Inglis and the boys came up to lend him +assistance, when his uncle smiled, for he knew what it was that Fred had +hooked. + +"Isn't it a big one, Papa?" said Harry; "look how he pulls." + +"Don't I wish I had him," said Philip. + +"Land it, Fred," said Mr Inglis; "and mind it does not tangle your +line,--pull away." + +Fred did as his uncle told him, and pulled away, so that he soon had +twisting upon the grass a very tolerably sized eel, writhing and twining +and running in beneath the strands; slipping through the hands that +tried to grasp it; and seeming quite as much at home on land as in the +muddy water at the bottom of the pond. As for Fred, he stood aloof +holding his rod, and leaving all the catching to his cousins; the snaky +eel presenting no temptation to him--in fact, he felt rather afraid of +the slimy wide-mouthed monster. + +At last the eel was freed from the hook, and lay quietly coiled round +the bottom of the basket, turning several small fish out of their +places, and making a considerable hubbub amongst the occupants of the +wicker prison, the excitement being principally displayed by flappings +of tails and short spring-back leaps. + +All this time Mr Inglis was quietly landing a good many fish, most of +which were very fair-sized roach, with an occasional perch; but, soon +after Fred's exploit with the eel, he called gently to Harry for the +landing-net, and this summons caused the other members of the party to +come up as well, when they saw that Mr Inglis had evidently hooked a +large fish, and was playing him--many yards of his running line being +taken out. The fish, however, seemed to be rather sluggish in its +movements, keeping low down as though seeking the bottom; upon which +Fred declared it was a great eel. But it was no eel, though a +mud-loving fish, as was shown when he became ready for the landing-net, +Harry deftly placing it beneath the fish's slimy side, and lifting it +upon the grass.--And now its golden sides glittered in the sun as it lay +upon the bright green daisy-sprinkled bank, in all the glory, as a +fisherman would term it, of a noble tench of nearly four pounds' +weight--a great slimy fellow, with tiny golden scales and dark +olive-green back, huge thick leathery fins, and a mouth that looked as +though the great fish had lived upon pap all its lifetime. He had been +a cowardly fish in the water, and yielded himself up a prisoner with +very little struggling--nothing like that displayed by a perch about a +quarter his size, which Mr Inglis next hooked and played, and then lost +through its darting into a bed of strong weeds and entangling the line, +so that the heavy clearing ring sent down towards the hook proved +inadequate to the task of releasing it, and the line broke, and the fish +escaped with at least a yard of shotted silkworm gut hanging to the +hook. + +Fred was very fortunate, for he, sitting quietly beneath a tree, caught +two or three very nice carp, independently of about a dozen roach and +perch; while Harry, the impetuous, first on one side, then on another, +caught scarcely anything, and would have hindered his brother and cousin +from the success which rewarded their patience, if Mr Inglis had not +kept to a rule which he made, that no one angler should fish close to +another; for Master Hal, directly a fish was caught on either side +immediately concluded that where the fish was caught would be a better +place for him, and accordingly began to trespass. + +All at once, just as Philip had hooked a perch and was drawing it to +shore, there was a mighty rush through the water, and something seized +the fish and began sailing with it backwards and forwards, bending +Philip's light rod nearly double, for he had no running tackle, and only +a thin line. + +"Papa! Papa!" shouted Harry, "look here; Phil has such a bite!" + +Mr Inglis came up to see what sort of a bite it was that Philip had, +and at once perceived that a good-sized pike had taken his prize, and +was holding on fast, as though he did not intend to let go, although +there was a pretty good strain kept up by Philip. Of course, capturing +the pike would have been out of the question with Philip's light tackle, +even if it were not forbidden; so there was nothing left for it but to +wait and see if the pike would leave the perch, for Philip did not feel +disposed to give his fish up if he could help it, for it was what Harry +called a regular robbery; so, for three or four minutes, it was--pull +pike--pull Philip,--till at last, quite in disgust, the pike let go, +gave one swoop with his tail, and was gone. + +Philip then landed his perch, which seemed quite dead, and a piece was +bitten completely out of its side. + +"What a savage!" said Philip; "only look what a bite he has taken out of +my poor fish! Don't I wish I could have caught him!" + +"Ah, Philip," said his father, "you did not expect to have hold of such +a fish as that; but it is not at all an unusual incident, for the pike +is a most ravenous fellow, and will take anything that comes in his way. +On one occasion I caught a small pike with a piece of paste, and +another with a worm,--both very unusual baits for there to take, as +their prey is small fish, while most people are of opinion that they +will not touch perch on account of their sharp back fin; but we had +proof this afternoon that they will. But the most curious thing that I +ever knew a pike to take was a leaden plummet, which it seized one day +when I was plumbing the depth in a canal previous to bottom fishing, as +we have been to-day. As a matter of course I was much surprised, as no +doubt the pike was also, when he felt himself hooked, and, after a +struggle, I drew him to land. But come, boys, I think it is time to +start; so let's be for packing up." + +"Oh! Pa," said Harry. + +"Oh-h-h-h! Pa-a-a-a," said Philip. + +And "Oh-h-h! Uncle," remonstrated Fred. + +But Mr Inglis was inexorable, for the afternoon was passing away, and +the evening closing in; so the spoils were collected and placed in the +basket, when it was found that Fred's eel had disappeared, having +crawled out, and, no doubt, wriggled through the grass into the lake +again. However, there was a very fair basket of fish to take home; and, +when all the tackle had been packed up, and they returned to the yard +and placed the things in the dog-cart, the horse was put to, and, +freshened with his long rest, he made the wheels spin merrily round, and +the dust fly back in a cloud from his heels, as he trotted homeward as +fast as he could, well knowing that there was a snug, clean stable +waiting for him, and plenty of fresh hay and sweet corn to enjoy after +his long journey. + +The sport of the day formed a never-tiring theme for conversation during +the ride home; every finny captive being exalted into almost the +importance of a whale. The only person at all dissatisfied with the +day's proceedings was Harry, who rather felt that his want of success +was owing to the lack of perseverance. However, he made vows of future +attention to everything he attempted, and was drawing a very +brightly-coloured plan for the future, when home was reached, and Mrs +Inglis seen waiting in the porch to view the fruits of their day's +angling. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN. + +OLD SAM'S TROUBLES.--A SAD STORY. + +"Now, I don't care whether you gets punished or not; but I means to tell +master, for you all oughter know better, and it ain't right." + +"But I tell you we didn't do it, Sam," said Harry. + +"Ah! don't tell me; I knows you did. There's footmarks all along from +the gap, right across the potato piece, and everybody else will begin to +go the same way, and make a regular path of it." + +"But we didn't go that way," chorussed the boys. + +"Why, what an old stupid it is," said Philip; "he won't believe +anything." + +Sam's trouble was a trampled track across a newly-enclosed piece of +ground, which Mr Inglis had lately purchased near the village, and Sam +had planted with potatoes for home consumption. It certainly was +annoying, for a ditch had been cut round it, a bank made, and, on the +top, a neat little hedge of hawthorn planted; but some idle people were +in the habit of jumping across the ditch, trampling down the little +hedge, and then making a track right across the corner of the field to +the other side, where, in getting out, they trampled the hedge and bank +down again, and all just to save themselves a walk of about fifty yards +round, where there was a good path. But so it was: the property had +lain in dispute for many years, during which time people had cut off the +corner, and made themselves a track; and now that it was purchased, and +had become private property, it seemed that there were some two or three +obstinate, unpleasant people, who would not alter their plans, but took +delight in the paltry piece of mischief of destroying what had been so +carefully put in order. But Sam had always one complaint string upon +which he fiddled or harped; and so sure as anything like mischief was +done anywhere, he always declared it was "them boys," who were "always +up to suthin, drat 'em." It was so when the walnuts were stolen, and +the tree, broken about. Sam was sure it was "them boys," and he went +and told his master of Harry and Philip's "capers," as he called them. +But Sam was wrong then, as upon many other occasions, and also upon this +one, for a sad story hangs to that affair about the walnuts; and I do +not think it will be out of place if I go back about a year and nine +months, and leave the trampled path for the present, while I take up +another. + +Mr Inglis had standing in one of his fields, about fifty yards from the +lane which led down to the mill, a very fine walnut-tree. The tree was +not only fine in size, but noble in appearance, and the walnuts that it +bore were of the largest and sweetest grown anywhere for miles round, +and Mr Inglis rather prized these nuts, for they kept well, and might +be seen upon his dessert-table long after Christmas time. + +Now, it so happened that just as the nuts were getting ripe, and the +first ones began to fall, breaking their green husk when they touched +the ground, and setting the clean pale-brown shell at liberty,--it was +just at this time that Sam found out that some one had been up the tree +picking the walnuts, for not only were a great number missing, but the +ground beneath was strewed with leaves, broken twigs, and walnut husks, +with here and there a brown-shelled nut which the plunderer had looked +over in his hurry. + +No sooner did Sam see the mischief than he hurried off to the house, and +bursting breathlessly into the breakfast-room, announced that Masters +Harry and Philip had been taking all the walnuts. + +Mr Inglis frowned, and told Sam, rather sharply, to knock before +entering another time, and then turned to his sons, and asked them if +what Sam said was true. + +"No, Papa," they both exclaimed indignantly, "we have not touched them." + +"Only," said Harry, recollecting himself, "I did throw a stone in the +tree yesterday, as we went down the lane, but it didn't knock any down, +and I should not have thrown only Phil said I couldn't throw so far." + +"Ah! but I'm sure it was them," said Sam. + +"Hush! Sam," said Mr Inglis; "and now leave the room. I'll +investigate the affair after breakfast." + +Sam left the room anything but pleased, for he thought that he ought to +have been praised for his energy, and so he told Cook in the kitchen +when he went through, and then stopped and told her all about it; when +Cook declared it was a shame, and gave Sam a cup of tea to mollify him, +for Cook and Mary were just having breakfast. As soon as Sam had closed +the door, Mr Inglis turned to his sons, and asked them if they knew +anything about the tree, or who was likely to have taken the walnuts; +for in this quiet district an act of theft was of such rare occurrence, +that it caused great excitement; besides which, Mr Inglis was +deservedly so well respected by the poor people round, that, sooner than +touch anything belonging to him, they would have formed themselves into +special constables to protect his property. + +But neither Harry nor Philip could give the slightest information, so +the breakfast was finished, and, in the course of the day, Mr Inglis +had his suspicions directed towards the scapegrace son of an old woman +in the village. This young man had been employed in the neighbouring +town, but for a most flagrant act had been tried, and sentenced to five +years' penal servitude. He was at this time at home upon what is called +a "ticket of leave;" that is, he had a portion of his sentence remitted +for good conduct in prison, and he was now in the village. But Mr +Inglis was averse to proceed upon suspicion; in fact, he was averse to +punishing the culprit at all, even if he brought the theft home to him; +and therefore he took no steps in the matter. + +Two nights after, a quantity of the walnuts were again stolen; and on +Mr Inglis being informed of this new attack upon his crop, he told Sam +that he would have them all thrashed on the following day, and place +them under lock and key. + +"Hum!" said Sam to himself; "and then they'll have a go at the apples. +I knows it's them youngsters. Now, then," he said, for Harry and Philip +just came up in the midst of the old man's soliloquy, "now, then, +where's all them nuts?" + +"Get out," said Harry, "we never touched them. But it's no use to tell +such an old unbeliever as you are. We didn't touch them; did we, Phil?" + +Phil followed his brother's example, and strenuously denied the +impeachment; but Sam would not be convinced, and went muttering and +grumbling away to his work, while Philip stood with tears in his eyes, +for he could not bear the idea of his word being doubted. Harry did not +mind it much; but Philip was obliged to go behind the large clump of +laurustinus and pull out his handkerchief and blow his nose a great +deal, and wipe the eyes that would brim over. + +"What's the matter, Philip?" said his father, who had come up +unobserved. + +Philip could not speak for a moment, for the tears would come faster, +and a round sob seemed to stick in his throat, and would not go either +up or down. At last, however, he told his father the cause of his +tears; and Mr Inglis was very angry, saying that he would not have the +honour of his boys doubted, for he had perfect reliance in their word, +knowing that they had always been truthful; and therefore he would not +have another word said about the walnuts; and the consequence was, that +Mr Sam came in for a very sharp reprimand that morning; but, for all +that, he looked at the boys the next half-hour, when he met them, as +much as to say, "I know you got the walnuts," though he did not say so. + +But old Sam was wrong, as was, sad to state, _very_ soon proved; for the +next day being very wet, the walnuts were not thrashed, the weather +necessitating the nut harvest being deferred for another day. + +Upon the following morning, while Mr and Mrs Inglis and their sons +were sitting at breakfast, Mr Inglis knit his brows, for old Sam, +without studying the lesson upon decorum that his master had given him +but a few days before, burst into the breakfast-room again, but this +time through the French window opening on the lawn. + +"Sam," said Mr Inglis, sternly, "what can--" but he interrupted himself +upon seeing that the old man was all in a tremble, and that the +perspiration stood in great drops upon his forehead. "Why, what is it, +man, speak out!" + +But Sam could not speak out, for he was too excited, and though his lips +moved no sound came from them. However, he caught his master by the +sleeve, drawing him towards the window, and Mr Inglis followed him. +Harry and Philip rose from their seats, but Mr Inglis motioned Mrs +Inglis and them to keep their places, and closed the window as he went +out. Sam led the way down the garden towards the fields, and said +something to his master which made him quicken his steps until they +reached the great walnut-tree, where, beneath one of the largest boughs, +lay the body of a man, with his head turned in a very unnatural +position, and one of his arms bent under him. + +Upon first looking at the figure, Mr Inglis thought the man was dead; +but on touching him he gave a slight groan upon which Sam was despatched +for assistance, while his master placed the sufferer in an easier +position, during which he moved slightly and groaned again, but remained +perfectly insensible. While waiting for the return of Sam, Mr Inglis +saw but too plainly the cause of the accident: scattered about upon the +grass were walnuts, twigs, and leaves; while tightly clutched in the +man's hand was a red cotton handkerchief nearly full of the fruit; and +his trousers and jacket pockets were filled as full as they could hold. +There was no doubt _now_ as to who was the culprit, but Mr Inglis felt +a sinking at the heart as he thought of the severe punishment that had +fallen upon the offender, who proved to be none other than the man home +with a ticket of leave, but who had not been cured of his dishonest +propensity. + +Sam soon returned with two or three farming men, who, under the +direction of Mr Inglis, lifted a gate off its hinges, and laid the man +as gently as they could upon it, and then, one at each corner, bore him +out through the open gateway into the lane, and so to the village inn, a +boy in the meantime being despatched for the doctor. Mr Inglis would +have taken the poor fellow to the Grange, but for the reflection that it +would only be a great shock to Mrs Inglis, and the ends of humanity +would not in any way be served, for assistance could not be obtained a +bit sooner, but rather the reverse. + +With some difficulty the man was carried into a room at the inn, and it +being found impossible to carry him upstairs, a mattress was brought +down, and he was laid upon it. He groaned slightly upon being moved, +tenderly as the men handled him, but remained quite still upon the +mattress upon being laid there. + +He was a fine-looking, sun-browned young fellow, but his face was now +disfigured by the fall and contracted with pain; and Mr Inglis could +not but feel sad to look upon so pitiable a sight--a fine, hearty young +man stricken with death through the act of petty theft of which he had +been guilty. + +At length the doctor arrived--the same gentleman who had attended poor +Fred in his narrow escape from drowning. He made his examination, and +found that one arm was broken, and the neck so injured that he shook his +head, and whispered to Mr Inglis that the bones were dislocated; and in +reply to the inquiry whether there was any hope, he shook his head +again. He then did all that was possible in such an extreme case, and +sat down in company with Mr Inglis to see if the poor fellow would +revive; but they waited in vain, for after about an hour had passed, +during which the doctor had watched every change, he suddenly rose up +from leaning over the injured man, laid his hand upon Mr Inglis's +shoulder, and walked out of the room with him, whispering some words +that caused Mr Inglis to sigh, and then to slip a sovereign into the +hands of the poor old woman, the mother, who was sobbing upon the settle +in the common room of the inn. + +The death caused a great stir in the village, and many people said that +it was a judgment upon the man for his sin; but Mr Inglis was deeply +grieved, and said that he would rather that all the fruit in the garden +had been stolen than such an awful punishment should have befallen the +man. + +And now to return to the beaten path: Sam persisted that it was our +young friends, so they went to look at the trampled place, and one and +all declared it was a shame. + +All at once Harry made a proposition which caused old Sam's mouth to +expand into a grin, after which he gave a series of hearty chuckles, and +slapping the boy on the shoulder, exclaimed, "Well, it couldn't a been +you arter all, Master Harry--(chuckle, chuckle, chuckle)--we'll do it +this very night, we will." + +What they did that very night will come out in due course. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY. + +MR JONES'S MISHAP. + +About eleven o'clock the next morning, Mr Inglis was sitting in his +study, writing; Mrs Inglis was working at the open window, and +occasionally watching the boys, who were amusing themselves upon the +lawn, when all at once a knock came at the study-door. + +"Come in," said Mr Inglis, and in came Mary, trying to look very +serious, but evidently struggling with a laugh which would keep +crinkling up the corners of her mouth, although she kept smoothing them +out with her apron. + +"Well, Mary?" said her mistress. + +"If you p-p-please 'M," said Mary, who then stopped short, for something +seemed to have got in her throat. + +"Mary!" exclaimed Mrs Inglis, severely. + +Poor Mary looked as serious directly, as if she were going to lose her +situation, and making an effort she began again. + +"If you please, 'M, here's Mr-- Oh! dear; oh!--hoo--hoo--guggle-- +guggle--gug--gug--gug; choke--choke; cough--cough," went Mary, burying +her face in her apron, and completely losing her breath, and turning +almost black in the face with, her efforts to stifle her laughter. "Oh! +dear; oh! dear," she said, trying to run out of the room, but Mrs +Inglis stopped her, and insisted upon knowing what was the cause of her +mirth. + +"Oh, 'M, please, 'M, here's Mr Jones come, and wants to see Master; and +oh, 'M, please, 'M--he--he--he--he--he--he's in such a mess. Oh! dear; +oh! dear; what shall I do!" + +"Do," said Mrs Inglis, at last, quite angrily. "Why, go and ask Mr +Jones to step in here; or no, tell him to step into the drawing-room." + +"Oh, please, 'M, don't," said Mary, serious in a moment. "Please, 'M, +don't; he ain't fit, and he'll come off black over everything he comes +a-nigh." + +"Well, send him here, then," said Mrs Inglis; and away went Mary back +into the hall, and directly after she ushered in Mr Jones, who +presented such an appearance that both Mr and Mrs Inglis at once +excused poor Mary's laughter, for they had hard work to restrain their +own mirth. + +Mr Jones was a retired exciseman, and of the description of man known +as dapper; he was a little, fat, chubby fellow, who dressed very +smartly, always wearing white trousers in the summer, and a buff +waistcoat, made so as to show as much shirt-front and as little +waistcoat as possible. He was a man who always used to labour under, +the idea that he looked very fierce, and, to make himself look fiercer, +he used to brush his hair all up into a pyramid over the barren place on +the top of his head, so that the hair used to form a regular pomatumed +spike. But he did not look at all fierce, for his fat round face, dull +eyes, and tenchy mouth would not let him; but he used to speak very +loudly, and thump his Malacca cane down on the ground, and strut and +look as important as many more people do who have not brains enough to +teach them their insignificance as parts of creation, or how very little +value they are in the world, which could go on just as well without +them. + +Now, Mr Jones did not like Mr Inglis; he used to say that Mr Inglis +was pompous, and purse-proud, and vain; and, what was more, Mr Inglis +had given the little man dreadful offence in buying the two-acre field +where the potato piece was that used to be so trampled down. + +But I have been keeping Mr Jones waiting, for I said, a little way +back, that Mary ushered him into the study, and Mr and Mrs Inglis +could hardly keep from laughing; for a droll appearance did Mr Jones +present as he strutted into the room, with his hat on, but seeing Mrs +Inglis there, he took it off, and made a most pompous bow. But he did +not look in bowing trim, his face, buff waistcoat, and shirt, presenting +a currant-dumpling appearance rather ludicrous to gaze upon, for they +were specked and spotted all over; while his white duck trousers, far +above his knees, were dyed of a pitchy black hue, and covered with +abominably smelling black mud. + +"Now, sir," said Mr Jones; "pray, sir, what have you to say to this, +sir?" + +"Nothing at all, Mr Jones," said Mr Inglis quietly. "But may I +inquire why I am favoured with this visit?" + +"Favoured, sir? Visit, sir? What the ten thousand furies do you mean, +sir? Look at my trousers, sir. Do you see them, sir?" + +"Of course I see them," said Mr Inglis, "and I am sorry to see that you +have met with so unfortunate an accident; but pray what has it to do +with me?" + +"To do with you, sir?" shrieked Mr Jones; "why, you laid traps for me, +sir; snares and pitfalls, sir; but I'll be recompensed, sir, if there's +law in England, sir. I won't stand it, sir. I'll--I'll--I'll--I'll-- +Confound it, sir; you shall hear from my solicitor, sir." + +And then the little man bounced out of the study, banging the door after +him; thumped his stick down on the marble floor of the hall at every +step, and strode out of the house, and along the gravel-walk, almost +beside himself with passion; for he felt convinced that Mr Inglis had +been the cause of his mishap. But Mr Inglis was as innocent as his +companion, who replied to his interrogative gaze with a look of +astonishment so ludicrous that they both laughed long and heartily. + +At last Mr Inglis said--"It must be some trick those boys have played. +I must find it out, or we shall be having no end of unpleasantness about +it." And the Squire leaned back in his chair, and laughed till the +tears stood in his eyes. + +But all this while Mr Jones was fuming worse than ever, for he had +passed old Sam, Philip, Harry and Fred, standing at the gate of the +stable-yard, and no sooner did they catch sight of the strange figure +advancing towards them, than they rushed off laughing at such a +boisterous rate that Mr Jones felt as though he could have strangled +them all. + +And now it is only fair that the reader should know how it was that Mr +Jones had got into such a pickle, for he certainly was in a very nasty +mess indeed. Mr Jones, as I said before, had been very much annoyed +because Squire Inglis purchased the little corner field; so, from a +petty feeling of spite, he always made a point of walking across the +corner, kicking down the bank, and treading heavily upon the young +quickset plants. Now, of course the example set by such a big little +man as Mr Jones, would be sure to find followers; and this was the case +here, for many of the boys of the village used to slip across as well. +But on the evening previous to what has been above related, old Sam took +his tools down with him, and had soon dug out a hole about three feet +deep just in the centre of the field, and right in the middle of the +track; he then borrowed an old tin pail from a cottage near, and filled +the hole full of black mud from a filthy drain ditch, which ran along +the backs of some of the cottages in the village street, the smell from +which was so bad that Fred and his cousins kept their distance while the +hole was being filled. + +When the pit was about full, Sam carefully sprinkled it over with the +earth he had dug out, till it looked like the surrounding surface, when +he levelled the place all round, and made it all so much alike that, to +the ineffable delight of the boys, he could hardly tell where the +pitfall was exactly, and put one of his own feet in above the ankle. +Harry fairly danced with delight, but, seeing that the old man was +turning cross, he helped to cover the place again, and then they left +the pail at the cottage, and walked back to the Grange. As for the +people living close at hand, they were so much accustomed to seeing old +Sam working in the field that they took no notice of what he was doing; +so there the trap lay, all ready baited for the first man. + +Now, it so happened that no one crossed the corner that night, as Sam +could readily see when he went down directly after breakfast next +morning, for all was just as he left it the night before; but Sam had +not gone many yards on his way back, when whom should he meet but Mr +Jones, looking very clean and dapper, and most terribly important. He +scorned to take any notice of old Sam, but strode on his way till he +came to the potato piece, when he deliberately crossed the little dry +ditch, trod down the tiny hedge, and then sticking his nose up in the +air, as much as to say, "I'll teach old Inglis to stop up old tracks," +he stamped along more pompously than ever, while Sam stopped by a turn +in the road and watched him with eyes that seemed fascinated, so eagerly +did they follow the old excise officer. + +"Stamp--stamp," went the pompous little man; and "brog--brog," went his +stick in the soft earth. "He'll miss it," said Sam to himself, for Mr +Jones had apparently reached the centre of the field, and turned round +to look about him, walking backwards. "Dear, dear," said Sam, "if he +only would--" + +"Plosh!" went Mr Jones right in backwards; and "spatter" went the foul +mud all over his face and shirt-front, and then the poor little man +tried to scramble out, but slipped in again, making himself worse than +ever; but his next effort was more successful; and when Sam saw him +standing amongst the potatoes looking all piebald, his heart was joyful +within him, as he hurried home to tell the boys the success of their +plot. + +Mr Inglis very soon learned from the boys what was the cause of Mr +Jones's visit, and for the moment he felt rather disposed to be cross; +but on looking at the laughing eyes before him, and the mirthful +countenance of Mrs Inglis, he was obliged to join in the merriment +himself; for as Philip very sagely remarked,--"You know, papa, he had no +business there." As for Mr Jones, he was nearly red-hot with fury when +he reached home, for he had been laughed at by more than one person on +his way; so when the door was opened, and his pet dog--a disagreeable +terrier--came smelling about his legs, his master kicked him savagely, +upon which the dog retorted by sticking his teeth into his assailant's +leg, and then running off howling as loudly as he could. + +Mr Jones then set to work and washed himself, a process of which he +stood greatly in need; and by the time he had made himself dapper again, +he felt cooler and more comfortable; and he also began to wish he had +not told Mr Inglis that he should hear from his solicitor. But he +_had_ told him to, and therefore he felt that he must go to his +solicitor at once, or he would very soon have made up his mind to say no +more about it. So off Mr Jones trotted to his lawyer; that is to say, +his pony trotted, carrying Mr Jones in the little chaise, in which was +a carefully tied-up bundle containing the blackened and damaged suit of +clothes, which looked worse than ever by the time he reached the town, +for the trousers had communicated a vast amount of their filth to the +waistcoat and shirt-front, not forgetting to administer their odour at +the same time. When Mr Jones arrived at the lawyer's he found him at +home, and was soon closeted with him in his mouldy room, all amongst the +dust, papers, parchments, and tin boxes; and then and there Mr Jones +told his tale, and finished by drawing out the black garments, for there +was very little white to be seen on the trousers. + +"But you did not tell me where the pitfall was made," said Mr De +Vellum, the solicitor. + +"Made, sir?" said Mr Jones excitedly; "why, in that corner piece of +land, where the road makes the sharp turn, on the other side of the +village." + +"What, where the finger-post stands at the corner?" + +"To be sure," said Mr Jones; "the very place." + +"Well, but," said Mr De Vellum, "that's the piece Mr Inglis bought at +the sale last year, when I bid for you." + +"Just so," said Mr Jones; "I was walking across it, as I have done +hundreds of times before." + +"Ah!" said Mr De Vellum, "but it has been enclosed, and you know, my +dear sir, you were trespassing. Let me order in a glass of wine," he +continued, for Mr Jones had luckily come for advice to a sensible man; +"let me order in a glass of wine, and then I'll give you my advice." + +The wine was brought in, and then Mr Jones received his advice, which +cost him six shillings and eightpence, but would have been cheap at a +guinea, for the advice was to go home and take no more notice of the +matter. + +Mr Jones was quite cool when he heard the solicitor's opinion; and it +was so much in agreement with his own, that he immediately shook hands, +said "good-day," and made the best of his way home. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. + +CATCHING TARTARS. + +Mr Jones used to have a man, who was a jobbing gardener, come once a +week "to put him a bit straight," as the man called it; and this +gardener used sometimes to meet old Sam at the Red Lion, when they would +have a pint of beer together, and compare cabbages and gooseberries; +talk about peas and plums; and relate how many snails they had each +killed, by putting salt on their tails, during the past week. Now, it +so happened that Sam went to the Red Lion on the very night that closed +in upon the day when Mr Jones muddied his white trousers; and it also +so happened that Ikey Fogger, the jobbing gardener, thought that he too +should like a half-pint at the Red Lion. The consequence was, that the +two tillers of the soil began to compare notes, and very soon the +history of Mr Jones's misfortune was talked over, and so heartily +laughed at by every one present, that old Sam grew quite proud of the +feat; and at last let out that Master Harry and he had done it, and it +"sarved old Jones right." + +Next morning, Ikey Fogger was putting Mr Jones's garden "a bit +straight," which was done by means of the rake, scythe, hoe, spade, and +broom, when Mr Jones came out to superintend as usual, for he had his +own particular way of having things done; and in the course of the +conversation that followed, Ikey Fogger told him what had been said at +the Red Lion by old Sam; the fruit of which was that Ikey had an extra +sixpence to "drink master's health," and Mr Jones sat down in his best +parlour to see whether he could not devise some plan of attack upon +Harry and the other boys,--for he considered all bad alike,--so as to +enjoy what he called the "sweets of vengeance." + +Just then he happened to look up and see the three boys, accompanied by +their dog, go strolling past on the other side of the road, when a +thought struck him which he hastened to put into execution. + +The boys were going out for a stroll till tea-time, for they scarcely +knew what to do with themselves, having no particular object in view, +one and all having declared it too hot for cricket. They therefore +loosened the dog, and went off to see what would turn up in the way of +amusement. They strolled past the end of the village, and down a lane +that led to a bend of the river, and at last sat down upon the bank, and +amused themselves by throwing sticks and stones in the water for the dog +to fetch out,--a feat, by the way, that he never accomplished, for he +was not well broken in to the task. He would run in fast enough, and +pretend to make a dash at the stick or stone, but that was all he did, +save bark and yelp as he stood up to his middle in the water. At last +they grew tired of even this effort, for the heat made them languid and +idle; so they sprawled about on the grass, lazily watching the flies +that skimmed about and flitted over the surface of the water in such +rapid motion that they looked like strings of flies. + +All at once there was a splash in the river close to their feet. + +"There's a great fish," said Fred. + +"It was a stone, I think," said Philip. + +"But who was to have thrown it?" said Harry; "there's no one about." + +Just then a great stone splashed up the water, and another struck the +poor dog such a blow upon the head that it gave a sharp howl, and rolled +right down the bank into the river, from whence it crawled with its eye +swelling up fast, and a cut in the skin bleeding profusely. + +The boys now saw that the stones were thrown from behind a hedge on the +right, and three more came directly, one of which hit Philip a smart +blow in the back and made him wince again. Just then three big lads +made their appearance, and began to pick up more stones. + +"Let's run," said Fred, "or we shall be hurt." + +"Yes, come along," said Philip, rubbing his back and twisting with pain. + +"No, I shan't run," said Harry; "the cowards have half killed poor Dick, +or I'd set him at them. I know who they are,--there's Bill Jenkins, and +the two Stapleses. Don't I wish I was bigger, I'd give it them;" and +Harry ground his teeth together, and clenched his fists tightly. + +"Yah; yah-ha; go home!" shouted the assailants. But Harry wouldn't +budge an inch, but stooped down and began to tie his pocket handkerchief +round the dog's bleeding head. + +"Yah-ah! yah-ah-ah-ah; go home wi' yer!" shouted the lads again, running +up, evidently meaning to chevy the Grange boys away; and this seemed an +easy task, for the new-comers were all bigger and stronger. +"Yah-ah-ah-ah; go home!" they shouted again; and then one, who seemed to +be the leader, said to his comrades,--"Let's pitch the dog in, come on." + +"You'd better not touch him, Bill Jenkins," said Harry, turning very +white, either with fear or rage. "We did not interfere with you, so +leave us alone." + +"Yah-ah-ah-ah; go home with yer!" shouted the boys again, for this +seemed to be a kind of battle-cry with which they warmed themselves to +attack the inoffensive party. Philip half-screwed himself behind Harry, +while Fred, who felt dreadfully alarmed, stood behind Philip. + +"Let us go home quietly, please," said Fred, "and I'll give you a +shilling." + +"Give us the shilling, then," said the boy called Jenkins, who, upon its +being produced, snatched it away from Fred, put it in his pocket, and +then laid hold of the dog's hind leg and dragged it towards the river. + +"You let him go now, come," whimpered Harry. + +"Wow--wow--wow--wow--wow--wow," said the boys, mocking Harry's whimper, +and in another moment poor Dick would have been plunged in, when Harry, +pushing back one of the Stapleses, who tried to stop him, planted such a +well-directed blow in Bill Jenkins's ear that he dropped the dog in a +moment, and shook his head as though something was buzzing inside it, as +no doubt there was, for the blow was a smart one, Master Harry having +had boxing gloves on more than once at school. + +But this was the signal for a combined attack from the enemy upon Harry, +who struck out manfully, but was getting terribly knocked about, when +Philip dashed into the fray, and relieved his brother of one assailant. +But two were too many for Harry, and seeing Fred doing nothing, he +shouted to him for help. + +Poor Fred! He felt terribly alarmed, and would gladly have run away; +but he saw Philip punching away at his adversary like a Trojan, while +Harry, with the blood streaming down his face, was being beaten back +step by step towards the river by his two formidable opponents. This +was too much for Fred, who threw off his cap and jacket and then crept +cautiously up to try and aid his cousin, who was getting rapidly +worsted. Now Fred afterwards confessed that he felt dreadfully alarmed, +and Bill Jenkins evidently saw this, and tried to frighten him away; but +he went the wrong way to work, for as Fred came timidly up, Bill swung +round one of his long arms, and gave the new-comer a back-handed smack +in his mouth that made the blood spurt out in a moment, and then, by a +clever thrust of his leg, tripped him up so that he lay sprawling on the +grass. But this blow, instead of frightening the town-bred lad, knocked +all the fear out of him; for, to Bill Jenkins's great astonishment, he +leapt up as though made of springs, and dashed at him like a fury. + +From that moment, Harry had only one enemy to deal with, for Bill +Jenkins began to find that he was getting such a thrashing as he never +before had in his life. Fred's fists battered him about the face like a +shower of blows, and in the scuffles that ensued the big lad was more +than once completely knocked off his feet. He had very soon had enough +of it, and began to show it; but Fred had not, for he warmed with the +fray, and, in spite of the other's cries for quarter, hammered and +battered away at him with greater fury than ever, till at last they +closed together, wrestled backwards, forwards, this way, that way, and +at last, seizing his opportunity, Fred gave a regular spring off the +ground, and drove his enemy backwards, but, as it happened, not on to +the ground, but dash, splash into the river, where they both sank, but +came up again directly, Bill Jenkins roaring for help, and Fred holding +on to him like a tiger. + +This put an end to the fight, for the fall into the river and conquest +of their leader made the two Stapleses take to their heels, so that +Harry and Philip were at liberty to help Fred, which they did, by +dragging Bill Jenkins half-drowned from the river, for Fred, in his +anger, had kept him under water more than once; and then all three +kicked him rather unmercifully to bring him well to again; and it must +be said, in mitigation of this rather barbarous proceeding, that the +blood of the conquerors was a little up, and they were in that state in +which we hear of soldiers being when they sack and burn towns. + +But Bill Jenkins was thoroughly thrashed--thoroughly--for he lay on the +grass and blubbered like a great cowardly calf as he was. He did not +say, "Yah-ah-ah-ha," now, but "boo-hoo-hoo-hooed" dreadfully; and at +last came out-- + +"We shouldn't ha' touched you if that genelman hadn't given us a +shilling each to pay you at out." + +"What gentleman?" said Harry. + +"Why, him as lives at the little house yonder, the little fat man, +Muster Jones, hoo--hoo--ooh--ooh," said Bill, who with his swelled eyes +and wet hair now looked a beauty, not that the conquerors had anything +to boast of in that respect. "Now, then," said Fred, viciously; "you +give me my shilling back, or I'll give you another ducking." + +"Boo--hoo," said Bill, refunding the cash very reluctantly, and ducking +his head as though to avoid a blow. + +"Ah! you deserve it, you great coward," said Harry. "Now get up, and be +off home; and don't you meddle with us again." + +And so these young cocks crowed, for the day was regularly their own; +while Bill Jenkins sneaked off, with his feathers draggling down about +his sides, and with bitterness in his heart, for he knew that another +thrashing was in waiting for him at home, for getting his clothes wet, +and his face bruised. + +And now that the victors had the field entirely to themselves, and the +excitement was over, they began to find that they were all very stiff +and sore; and upon looking at one another, they found that the victory +had been dearly bought Fred had, after all, been the greatest hero, and, +as a matter of course, he had come in for the greatest amount of damage: +his clothes were soaked with water; his shirt stained with blood; his +collar torn off; but; as to personal damage, he had escaped with a cut +mouth and bleeding knuckles, for he had found that Bill Jenkins +possessed a terribly thick head. Harry's clothes were terribly dragged +about, and his knuckles were in nearly as bad a state as Fred's, while +his face was in such a condition that Philip said he might pass for +somebody else. Poor boy, he was sadly "punished," as sporting people +call it, while more matter-of-fact folks would say, "knocked about:" the +general appearance of his face was such that it might have been supposed +that he had been the combatant who was immersed in the water, and that, +having stayed in too long, his face had swelled and grown puffy. Philip +had a nasty cut on the ear, and had had his nose flattened, but it had +regained its proper position, though not without deluging him with +blood. Altogether, the boys unmistakeably bore the appearances of +having been in a sharp engagement; and, as the sailors say, they "hove +to" for the purpose of repairing damages. + +The first proceeding was to wring all the water out of Fred's clothes, +and then, when he had put on his dry jacket and cap,--which he had flung +off on commencing the conflict,--he did not look so very, very bad. +Philip, too, was made pretty decent, when he had taken his stained +collar off, and buttoned his waistcoat up with the collar reversed, so +that it covered his shirt. But Harry was the worst, for he looked +dreadful; and no amount of bathing would make him decent. To begin +with, his cap would not go on so as to cover his bruised forehead; his +eyes were reduced to narrow slits, so that he could scarcely see; while +his mouth was drawn down all on one side. + +"Only look what an old gutta-percha head," said Philip; "don't he seem +as if some one had been squeezing him out of shape?" And then all three +burst out laughing, till Harry begged of them not to make him laugh. + +"Oh, don't, Phil; it does hurt so." + +"I say," said Fred, "however are we to go in to tea?" + +"I don't know," said Philip; "I don't know what they will say to us! +But we had better go home at once. What a set of guys we look! Let's +go along by the river side, and get over the palings into the fields, +and then, perhaps, we can slip in without being seen." + +"Come along then," said Harry, "for I do feel so stupid, and I can't see +a bit." + +"Oh! let's make haste," said Fred, "for wet clothes are not at all +comfortable." + +It was getting on fast for tea-time, so they hurried along, and having, +by means of jumping a couple of ditches, reached the palings which +skirted Mr Inglis's property, they helped Harry over, and crept along +close to the trees. It had been no joke for Harry to leap the ditches, +for he had to do it standing, but he managed to get pretty well over, +and then blundered along behind his brother and cousin. + +"Now, then, keep close, Harry," whispered Philip, when they were in the +garden; "keep close, and we'll soon slip in." + +Harry did keep close, and Philip dodged behind all the evergreens and +clumps that he could till they had only one great Portugal laurel to +pass round, and then they could reach the side-door. Half a minute more +would have settled it, when one of the French windows opened, and out +stepped Mr and Mrs Inglis just in front of the trio. + +Mrs Inglis's face expressed the horror and compassion that she felt to +see the boys in such a state, and, without stopping to ask questions, +they were hurried in, and nursed and doctored into a state that made +them a little more presentable at the tea-table, round which, when they +were assembled, Mr Inglis listened to the recital of the conflict; and, +much as he was annoyed at the not very creditable affair, still he could +not see how the lads could have acted differently. It was a thing that +he could not praise them for, and he did not wish to blame; so he +contented himself that night with pointing out the folly of playing such +practical jokes as had been schemed by Harry, saying that, however wrong +others might behave, retaliation in any shape ought not to be thought +of. + +"But I say, Pa," said Harry, "you would not have had us stand still and +let those fellows knock poor Dick about, would you?" + +"Come, boys," said Mr Inglis, "it's quite time you went off to bed, +particularly after such a day as you have had." + +The boys said "good night," and went off to their bedrooms, and as soon +as they were out of hearing, Mr Inglis turned to his wife, and said-- + +"That last question was unanswerable, my dear, for duty said `Yes,' +while my heart said `No.' The young dogs! What a knocking about +they've got; but I expect that their opponents are in a worse position +still. I've been thinking of taking proceedings against this Jones, for +really this is such a flagrant affair; but, after all, perhaps we had +better treat the matter with the contempt it deserves." + +What more Mr Inglis would have said I cannot tell, for he was +interrupted by the stuffy-looking head of Harry being thrust into the +room, and a voice that must have been his, though the lips were +immovable, saying-- + +"I say, Pa, you ain't very cross, are you?" + +Harry was started off to bed again, and Mr Inglis turned to his books, +so that the question was not discussed any more. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. + +FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! + +The days slipped pleasantly by, and the boys had nearly lost all traces +of their unpleasant encounter. They had been fishing again at the mill, +and had a long talk with Dusty Bob, who had promised to make them some +namesakes, namely "bobs" for eel-catching in the dam, and they were to +be ready on the Wednesday evening following. This was Tuesday, and +after a hot day, during which they had been having fine sport in the +field--where the men were getting in a lateish crop of hay-making hay +huts, and then when the abode was tenanted, knocking it down upon the +unfortunate inhabitant, who by this means was half smothered, which +Harry said constituted the best part of the fun--a kind of fun that Fred +could not see, for the view he took of the matter was like that of the +pelted frogs in the fable, and after being covered up with a mass of +hay, and having had Harry and Philip sitting on the top of that, he had +crawled out at last very hot, stuffy, bitty, and uncomfortable, and +could not be persuaded to enter the hay hut again. + +The boys had worked hard in the field; turning the hay, making it into +cocks, tossing them out, and then helping to load the waggon, and taking +the high-piled load to the stack-yard--the part the boys managed in +taking the load being that of riding on the top amidst the sweet-scented +new hay, and having to lie flat down as the mass passed beneath the tall +gateway and under the granary into the yard. On the way back, Harry +rode the leading horse, making stirrups of the traces, while his legs +stuck out at a very obtuse angle one from the other, in consequence of +the round back of the fat cart-horse. + +Harry was the most venturesome of the three boys in all things, and yet, +in spite of his daring, he met with fewer mishaps than the others; +however, on this particular day, he did have the pleasure of being run +away with, for, after taking a load to the stack, the front horse was +always unhooked from the traces, and allowed to follow the waggon +behind. Now upon this occasion, after re-entering the field, Ball, the +big horse, must have been tickled by a fly, or else have had the idea +that, now a gentleman was on his back, instead of being a cart-horse he +was a hunter. However, let the horse's idea have been what it might, he +whisked his tail, kicked up his heels, tossed his head, and snorted; and +then went off in a regular elephant gallop down the field, with all the +men shouting "Stop him--stop him," but nobody trying to do so in the +least. As for Harry, he stuck his knees into the horse as well as he +could, and dragged at the rein, but he might just as well have pulled at +a post for all the impression he made. He felt rather frightened, but +he stuck tightly to his great steed, steadying himself by taking fast +hold of the horse's great collar with one hand, all the while dragging +with the other at the rein. + +Away went the great brute full gallop, scattering the hay in all +directions, and charging right down at the hedge at the bottom of the +field. + +"He'll stop there," shouted the men in pursuit, to one another. + +But not a bit of it, for the horse took the hedge in a flying leap, and +then went galloping on through the corn-field on the other side, and +then he came to a stand-still right in the middle of the waving grain, +and began to nibble off the green sweet ears. + +But where was Harry? Why, sitting on the bank, with his legs swinging +in the ditch by the side of the hedge over which the horse made such a +splendid leap. But though the horse could make splendid leaps, Harry +could not, for he was not used to hunting, and the first sensation he +felt after flying through the air over the hedge, was that of a rude +bump upon the earth, in the midst of a bed of stinging-nettles. He got +up, shook himself, and felt his legs and arms to see if anything was +broken, and then, finding that such was not the case, he began rubbing +his back and then applying dock leaves to his stung hands. + +There must have been a good deal of elasticity in Harry's bones, for, +somehow or other, in cases where other persons would have had theirs +broken, Harry's seemed only to have bent and returned to their normal +position. So by the time the men came up to the hedge, Harry was +sitting very unconcernedly with his legs swinging in the ditch, rubbing +in the dock juice upon the stung places with all his might. + +"Here he bes," said a voice, and the great brown face of one of the +carters peered over the hedge. "Art t'e hurt, Maester Harry?" + +"No: not I," said Harry, getting up, "Jump over and catch that old +wretch. What made him run away with me?" + +But the carter could not answer that question, so he tried to catch the +horse; but the first step was to get over the hedge, which he could not +manage so easily as the horse. He tried in two or three places, but it +was of no use, for the live fence was of the thorniest and thickest, so +he had to go round about a quarter of a mile to the gate, and then set +to to catch the truant. But this too was easier said than done, for the +horse found himself in very pleasant quarters, and refused to leave +them; there was the sweetest of pasture all round him in the shape of +juicy, milky, corn-ears; the long green stems would have made a pleasant +resting-place, and then there were the larks carolling above him, and +the white-throats and yellow-hammers twittering on all sides; while the +sun shone warmly enough to make work tedious and repose delightful; so +that altogether the horse did not feel disposed to return to his hard +bondage of drawing the hay waggon, so heavily laden that he had to put +out all his strength to draw it over the soil yielding surface of the +field; and he showed this as plainly as he could by refusing to "come +then." He wouldn't "come then" a bit, but turned his tail to all the +blandishments offered to his notice. It was of no use to pretend that +there was corn in your hand, for he would not believe it, and would not +even smell to see. The carter might run as fast as he liked, but this +did not answer, for it trampled the corn down, and besides, the horse +had four legs to the carter's two, and easily beat him at running, even +when he was dodged up into a corner of the field, for he dashed along in +the ditch and so escaped again into the centre. + +"Whoa, then, whoa-oa-oa," said the carter, quite out of breath with his +efforts. But the horse wouldn't "whoa" any more than he would "come +then," but trotted off for a short distance, and then very coolly +commenced grazing upon the green corn-ears. At last the carter thought +of what he should have thought of at first, namely, leaving the gate +open, and trying to drive the horse through. This he accomplished by +means of a little manoeuvring, and the truant returned to the farm-yard, +where he was easily captured, and where he obtained a severe flogging +for his vagaries. + +That same night the boys lay in bed talking through the open doorway +about what they would do in the morning, when a light flashed upon the +window-blind. + +"How it lightens!" said Fred. "There, again, did you see that?" + +His cousins had seen what he alluded to, and said so; but the light +appeared upon their blind again, and this time lasted so long, that they +got out of bed to look, when, to their horror, they could see flames +running up the side of a great wheat-stack in the farm-yard, and the +blaze every moment growing larger. They ran to the stairs and shouted +the alarm to Mr Inglis, who saw by the glare that shone through the +hall window what was the matter, and hurried out. + +The boys scrambled on their clothes as quickly as possible, and upon +going out, found Mrs Inglis and all the maids upon the lawn, watching +the progress of the flames, which spread with alarming rapidity. + +Mr Inglis's farm-yard was situated fully a hundred yards from the +house, so that there was no danger upon that side, and, besides, the +wind was very still, which prevented the flames spreading so fast as +they would have done. But, unfortunately, the stacks and farm-buildings +were very close together, so that it seemed very probable that the whole +of the contents of the yard would fall a prey to the flames. + +When the boys reached the yard, they found everything in confusion-- +people running up from the villages; then shouting, and ordering, and +contradicting, all in a breath, and everybody in a state of the greatest +excitement. The only cool person about the place seemed to be Mr +Inglis, who had already despatched a mounted messenger to the town for +the engine, and was now forming a line of men from the pond to the stack +nearest the fire, over which, by means of ladders, a great corn sheet +was laid, and this they tried to keep wet. The pails were passed +quickly along, and returned empty by another row of men; but the burning +stack roared and crackled, and the sparks flew up in myriads, while in +the glare of light the martins and swallows could be seen flitting +backwards and forwards over the flames, till one by one the poor things +were suffocated, and dropped into the burning mass. An old white owl, +too, showed itself, flapping its wings round the burning stack and +hooting dismally, but it soon after flew off and was lost in the dark +night. + +The men worked hard at keeping the sheet wet, but it was of no avail, +for all at once a great portion of the burning stack tell down against +the one they were trying to save, and in a few minutes the great sheet +and the whole of the side of the stack beneath it were in a blaze. + +Mr Inglis now directed his attention to the stables at the rear, +towards which the flames were travelling with inconceivable velocity, +the ground being nearly covered with loose straw, across which the +flames ran like wildfire. Upon running to the stable-door he found it +locked, and in the crowd and confusion the horse-keeper could not be +found. There was not a moment to lose, for the roof was already on +fire, so a fir pole was fetched, and used battering-ram fashion, so that +the big door by a few strokes was sent off its hinges. Mr Inglis then +rushed in and found the place full of smoke, and the poor horses +trembling with fear. There were eight in the stable, and to cut their +halters was but the work of a minute. Some of them dashed out of the +place as soon as released, as though mad with fear; while others stood +with dripping sides, snorting and shuddering, and had literally to be +dragged out. + +All this while the roof was blazing away rapidly, and the hay in the +loft served to make it burn more fiercely. Seven horses had been saved, +but the eighth stubbornly refused to move, in spite of every effort; and +at last Mr Inglis and the men with him were compelled to retreat to +avoid suffocation. + +Upon being a little restored, one of the men would have made another +attempt, but he was stopped by Mr Inglis, who said that it would be a +risk of human life that he would not allow. Just then the roof fell in +with a crash, and a fearful shriek burst from the poor animal that met +with so horrible a death, while the men shuddered as they looked at one +another, and thought of their narrow escape. + +The farm-yard now presented a dreadful scene of confusion, for poultry, +pigs, and calves were running about in all directions, adding their +cries to the general clamour; the pigeons flew round the place and from +building to building; and everything seemed disposed to fly or run in +any but the direction required of it; the men, too, appeared nearly as +bad, running hither and thither without aim or purpose, and getting into +danger when there was not the slightest necessity. + +And now the flames roared and crackled terribly, and seemed to have +gained the entire mastery. The moon had not risen, so that the dark +night was lit up by the red glare, and the tall elm and beech-trees +turned of a golden green as they reflected the bright light. The flames +leaped from stack to stack, and from shed to shed, licking everything +up, and seeming to laugh at the efforts which were made to stay their +progress. The great barn full of corn was in a blaze, and the fear +seemed to be that the farm-house where Mr Inglis's bailiff lived would +be the next prey of the flames. The pig-sties were all burnt down, and +two unfortunate fat pigs had perished, squealing dismally; but the rest +of the live stock had been saved, as also most of the farming +implements: drills, ploughs, harrows, harness, carts, waggons, etc, etc, +had been all dragged out of the way; but, for all that, the loss of +valuable stock was terrible--unthreshed ricks of barley, oats, and +wheat; hay and straw, a barn filled with sacks of grain newly threshed, +and all being devoured by the flames in one short hour and a half. + +The great barn was blazing furiously, and the tired men busily engaged +wetting the thatch upon the gable end of the farm-house, upon which +great flakes of fire kept falling; while others were hard at work +dragging the furniture out of the doors and windows, and bearing it to a +place of safety, when there was heard a distant "hurray," and then came +the pattering sound of galloping horses, and the rattle of wheels. The +cheering was taken up by those near at hand, and in the midst of the +shouting, the dark red body of the engine from Marshford dashed up to +the yard. In a twinkling, the horses were detached by the men in dark +uniform who had leaped off the engine, the glare all the while reflected +from their brass-bound helmets--for Marshford boasted a volunteer fire +brigade--and then the wheels spun round again as the engine was run down +to the pond, the suction pipe screwed on, and like magic, so quickly was +it done, length after length of hose joined together, till a sufficiency +was obtained to reach easily the burning barn; and then the captain with +the burnished copper branch screwed it to the hose, men seized the +handles on each side of the engine, and at the given word--"Thud--thud; +thud--thud; thud--thud," went the powerful pumps. "Squish--squitter-- +squish--squish--ciss--ciss--hiss-s-s-s-s-s," went a stream of water +swift as an arrow from a bow right on to the gable of the farm-house, +and deluging the thatch in a moment, from the broad red chimney-stack +down to the eaves, and extinguishing every spark and flake that hung to +it. How necessary this had become could be seen from the steam which +arose from the thatch, which must have been in flames in a few minutes, +while the brickwork actually hissed, it had grown so heated. + +An occasional dash from the branch soon stayed all alarm as to the +farm-house being in danger, and the captain, directing his stream of +water against the burning barn, ordered his men to attach another +hose-pipe and branch to the engine, so as to double the stream of water +thrown upon the flames; this was soon done, and it being evident that +nothing would avail to stay the progress of the fire in the ricks and +sheds, which were one mass of red glow, both branches were devoted to +the attack upon the big barn. + +How the men cheered and pumped; and how the sweat streamed down their +faces as they sent the handles down on each side, "thud--thud; thud-- +thud;" and how the streams of water dashed into the burning building, +battling with the forked tongues of the fire, inch by inch, and turning +the glowing timbers into black, smoking, charred masses; while volumes +of steam and smoke now ascended where all before was flame. "Hiss-- +hiss--hiss," went the raging flames as the cold streams interposed +between these fiery dragons and their prey; and "ciss--ciss--ciss," +rushed the water sputtering from the copper tubes the captain of the +brigade and his lieutenant held in their hands. Famously was the engine +kept going, for a barrel of beer was brought down, and the men relieved +each other, and partook of the refreshing draughts handed to them from +the cask. + +All at once there was a warning cry, and a hurried rush of many feet, +for ore of the great corn-ricks, which had burned to the very core, had +toppled over, spreading its glowing ashes right across the yard, and a +shower of sparks high up in the air, like a golden whirlwind, setting +fire to the loose straw that lay about in all directions. But for the +presence of the engine, the fire would now have spread in another +direction; but the powerful streams of water that were dashed all over +the place soon extinguished the many little fires that had sprung up, +and Mr Inglis leading on a body of men with buckets to throw water +where it would have good effect, the engine branches were directed again +at the large barn, which was greatly in need of attention, for during +the brief pause the flames had leaped up with renewed violence; but the +steady streams of water soon began to tell upon them, and that too so +well, that in the course of an hour, one branch was considered enough to +finish the task of extinguishing the fire in that building, and the +other poured an unintermitting stream upon each and every part of the +yard where the flames were. + +The danger of the ruin spreading was now entirely at an end; and every +minute the glare became duller and fainter. The "clank-clank: +thud-thud" of the engine still kept on hour after hour, for the +smouldering heaps of ashes every now and then burst out into flame; but +a shower from the branches soon reduced its brightness to a cloud of +steam and smoke. The day had long dawned, and at last up rose the sun +upon the scene of devastation, and a sad sight it was, and the more so +from the whispers abroad that it was the work of some evil-minded +person, who, for reasons of his own, had set fire to the stacks; but +happily this afterwards proved not to have been the case, for the fire +was the result of an accident: a tramp, who had lain down in the straw +to sleep, having dropped the match with which he lit his pipe, when the +dry straw caught fire, and the flames ran up the side of the stack by +his side in a few seconds. + +It was indeed a sad sight, for all around lay sodden and blackened +straw, charred beams, and smoking rafters, half-burnt boards, scorched +sacks; in short, it was a scene of ruin, and the smoke and steam +ascended in clouds towards the bright morning sky. An occasional dash +from the branch was now sufficient to keep the fire under, and the +greater part of the worn and jaded working people, after partaking of +refreshments at the Grange kitchen, went home to snatch a few hours' +rest, and among those who went to seek rest were Mr Inglis and the +boys. But on entering the house they found the blinds open, and the +breakfast cloth spread, so that they all sat down to a refreshing meal; +after which everybody declared that it would be a pity to go to bed on +so bright a morning. + +Fred seemed, however, to have something on his mind; and at last +stammeringly asked his uncle if this disaster would not prove a serious +loss. His fears, however, were set at rest by Mr Inglis, who smiled, +and told him that it would have been, but for the exercise of prudence +and forethought, for, said he-- + +"If I had not been insured, it would have been a much more terrible +affair; but now the insurance company will either pay me the full value +of everything that has been destroyed by way of compensation, or build +up the whole of my barns and fill them again, so that you see I shall +have new ones instead of old." + +"But they can't build a new horse and pigs again," said Harry. + +"No, poor creatures," said Mr Inglis; "that was a sad death for them. +However, we have the satisfaction of knowing that we did our best to +save them." + +"But what is insurance?" inquired Fred. + +"Why, to explain it simply," said Mr Inglis, "a body of men join +together, and pay each of them a small sum of money yearly into a place +of business, which they have in London; and then, when anybody who +belongs to them has a misfortune, and his place is burnt, he has, from +this money that has been paid up in littles, enough sent to him to pay +for all the damage that has been done. Some people keep on paying in +all their lifetime, and never have a misfortune, and so that money goes +to help those who have. Thus in my time I have never had a mishap of +this kind before, but have been paying year after year, for a very long +time, and what I have paid has gone to help those who have been in +trouble; now my turn has come, and I shall write to London to the people +who manage, when they will send down a gentleman to see what is the +amount of damage done, and then they will pay me the money at once, or, +perhaps, repair the damages. So you see, my boy, there is nothing like +prudence and foresight, not only in guarding against fire, but in all +things." + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. + +A BROKEN DAY. + +In spite of the resolution to sit up as it had grown so late, the boys +did not seem at all the thing: there was a great disposition to yawn, +and a general feeling of being uncomfortable. Things appeared strange +and irregular, and the events of the past night to have taken place a +long time back; and at last, by the advice of Mrs Inglis, they all +three went off to bed--the dinner being put off till a later hour. + +As for Mr Inglis, he was busy enough in the farm-yard till dinner-time, +for, in the present state of confusion, it was impossible to tell what +amount of damage was done, and what had been saved from the flames. +Implements and tools were spread about in all directions, and the extent +of the ruin almost put him in a state of despair; but he reflected that +the misfortune might have been of a far more serious nature, and then +set to work busier than ever. + +By twelve o'clock the engine had gone back to the town, the fire being +completely extinct; and then there were arrangements to make for the +horses, pigs, cows, and poultry, all of which required immediate +attention; for, although Mr Inglis kept a manager or bailiff to attend +to his farm, yet, in such a case of emergency as the present, he found +plenty to call for his own aid. + +About three o'clock the boys made their appearance again, well refreshed +with the five or six hours' sleep they had taken; but the whole place +looked so desolate and miserable, that they very soon scampered off into +the garden, to amuse themselves with a few strawberries and +gooseberries. When they had had enough fruit, they took some into the +green-house for the parrot, who made a noise like the smacking of lips +upon being shown the strawberries, which she seemed to enjoy +wonderfully; while as for the gooseberries, they were capital amusement, +for she picked the seeds out of the pulp one at a time, and then danced +up and down as though in ecstasy. + +But they were soon tired of playing with Poll, and betook themselves to +the yard to tease the old raven; but he was not in a mood to be teased, +so showed fight, and pecked viciously at every one who came near him, +till at last, feeling that might would eventually overcome right, and +the boys prove too much for him, he took to his old place of refuge, the +horse-chestnut tree, where he sat and barked and laughed at his late +aggressors. + +They next turned their attention to Dick, who had not had a run since +the day when he had his eye cut by the stone thrown by Bill Jenkins's +party. The cut was healed up; and very soon Dick was capering round the +yard in fine style, but somehow or other his capers did not give +satisfaction to his masters; they wanted something new, and they could +find nothing fresh to amuse them, till all at once the yard gate opened, +and a lad appeared with a letter in his hand. + +"Wow--wow--wuff," said Dick, making at the intruder open-mouthed, but +the new-comer was too quick for the dog, for he darted back, and shut +the gate in his face. + +Back darted Dick, and out at the door at the other end, and then round +by the shrubbery. + +Harry and Philip both tried to open the gate, but the new-comer--whom +they had recognised as Fred's late adversary, Bill Jenkins, was holding +on tightly, so that they could not move it in the least. But in the +course of a few seconds there was the sound of rushing feet through the +shrubbery; a loud yell; and then the gate was released, and upon being +opened there stood, or rather reeled about, Bill Jenkins, and Dick, who +owed him a grudge for the stone-throwing, tight hold of him by the +trousers and shaking away at them as hard as he possibly could; and all +the while snarling and growling as viciously as a dog could snarl and +growl. + +"Help! help!" roared Bill Jenkins. + +"Worry--worry--worry," went Dick. + +"Help! help! murder!" roared Bill Jenkins again; and then, tripping over +a stone, he fell sprawling on the gravel-walk, when Dick, with all the +importance of a conqueror, left his hold of the trousers and leaped upon +the fallen enemy's breast, where he stood with his red tongue lolling +out, and wagging his tail. + +"Oh, please call him off; oh, do please," said Bill Jenkins; "I'll ne'er +throw stones at him again. Oh, please call him off." + +Harry laid hold of Dick's tail, and Philip took him by the ears, and +they carried him off to the yard and chained him up again, when he set +to barking as loudly as he could, until his enemy had left the premises, +which he did directly, leaving the letter, which he had brought for Mr +Inglis, in the charge of Fred, and then slipping off, after faring no +worse than being in a most horrible fright, for Dick's teeth went no +farther than through his trousers. As to Harry and Philip, they enjoyed +the fun, as they called it, immensely, which can hardly be wondered at +when the provocation they had received is taken into consideration; but +I must do them the credit of saying that they would not have set the dog +at poor Bill, and that they could not have stopped him if they had tried +ever so hard, which, in the hurry-skurry of the affair, they had no +chance of attempting. Dick had a good memory for those who were kind, +and those who behaved ill to him, as Bill Jenkins found to his cost; and +never afterwards could he be persuaded to take a message to Mr Inglis's +house, so wholesome was the dread with which the dog had inspired him. + +This episode supplied the boys with what they had wanted--something to +take up their attention till dinner-time, which Harry, by making a +charge into the kitchen, found to be in the process of what Mrs Cook +termed "dishing up;" so they entered the house, where they found Papa +just going to relieve himself of a little of the black which clung to +him; and soon afterwards, at dinner, they heard all that had been done +to make the best of the existing state of affairs. + +During tea the family party were again alarmed by the cry of "Fire!" of +which they could see the glare through the window; but, on hastening to +the farm-yard, it proved to be only one of the smouldering heaps which +had burst out again, and a few pails of water soon extinguished the +flames. + +Watchmen were left in charge of the place, and soon after returning to +the house, the whole of the inmates, thoroughly tired out with the +excitement of the past twenty-four hours, retired to rest. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. + +BEWARE OF THE SNAKE. + +"Now, boys," said Philip, "tumble up--tumble up--tumble up, it's such a +beautiful morning. Come, get up, Harry," he continued, giving his +brother a rough shake. + +"Aw--yaw--aw--aw--aw--aw," said Harry, gaping fearfully. + +"Get up-p-p-p-p-p," shouted Philip again, giving him another shake. + +"Oh, don't, Philip," said Harry, "I'm so slee-aw-aw-aw-ah-aw-aw-py." + +"What an old stupid!" said Philip again. "If you don't get up, I'll +cold sponge you." + +Harry did not wait for the cold sponge, but got up at once, and then the +young dogs seemed to enter into a compact to disturb the rest of poor +Fred, which they did by torturing him most ingeniously. + +Fred was lying fast asleep, and, the night having been warm, he had +kicked all the clothes off, so Harry and Philip collected the +hair-brushes in the two bedrooms, which, old and new, amounted to five; +after which, Harry slipped down into the hall, and brought up the two +clothes-brushes, and these they carefully arranged upon the bed, all on +one side of the sleeper. They next screwed up the corner of a +handkerchief, and began to tickle him on the side farthest from the +brushes. The first application of the tickler produced an impatient +rub; the second, an irritable scratch; but the third made the sleeper +turn right over on to the sharp brushes, and begin to curl and twist +about with pain. + +"Oh, dear! what's--ah--ah--er--oh, dear--don't. What's in the bed?" +said Fred, muttering and groaning and twisting amongst the brushes, but +still keeping his eyes obstinately closed. + +His tormentors roared with laughter; and it was this mirth which +thoroughly aroused Fred to the comprehension of his position, which he +no sooner realised than he sat up in bed, but in so doing only increased +his pain--penetrating hair-brushes, although meant expressly for going +through the hair, having, for all that, the power to pierce the skin, as +Fred found, and he soon made a sort of rabbit leap off the bed on to the +floor, and confronted his tormentors, who directly took to ignoble +flight; but they did not get off scot-free, for Fred managed to send a +missile in the shape of one of the brushes flying after them, and it +caught Harry a pretty good thump in the back with the hardest part. + +"I say," said Philip, when they were nearly dressed, "we were to have +gone to the mill last night to bob for eels; let's go to-night, or Dusty +Bob will think we are not coming." + +"Oh, he wouldn't expect us when he saw what a fire there was. He would +know that we should not go directly afterwards. But we might go +to-night, though. Let's ask Mamma to have tea early, so that we can +start directly after." + +"Well, but we have not had breakfast yet," said Fred. + +"Well, I know that," said Harry; "but it's always best to be in good +time about everything, and then you don't get all behind. I say, what +shall we do this morning? I should like to go down to the seashore. +Let's ask Papa to take us." + +"Why, what's the use," said Philip, "when you know how busy he is about +the fire? I shouldn't like to ask him. But he said he would take us +again before Fred goes back, so let's wait and see." + +Breakfast finished, the boys went out in the garden to amuse themselves, +and plenty there always seemed to be in that garden to amuse any one of +reasonable desires. There was fruit in abundance to begin with--no bad +thing for a commencement either, as Harry appeared to think, for he +began feasting first upon the gooseberries, and then turned his +attention to the cherries on the big tree in the corner by the +shrubbery--the tree which bore the great white Bigareau cherries; and it +was quite time they were picked, for some were split right down the side +from over-ripeness, while the sparrows had been attacking others, and +had committed sad havoc amongst them--the little pert rascals having +picked out all the finest and ripest for their operations, and then, +after taking a few bites out of the richest and sweetest part, they +commenced upon another. As for Harry, who was not at all a particular +youth, he used to make a point of choosing the sparrow-picked cherries-- +saying that they were the ripest and sweetest. + +Harry was up in the fork of the tree, reaching the fruit and throwing it +down to his companions, when the attention of all three boys was taken +up by the movements of a little bird in a tree close by; it was one of +the little titmice, and the tiny fellow seemed to be in a wonderful +state of excitement, darting from branch to branch, and emitting his +sharp cry in a most querulous manner. + +"I say," said Philip, "look at that tom-tit; it has a nest somewhere +close by, I know." + +This remark set six eyes searching about to discover the place of the +little tom-tit's home. Fred began looking up in the tree and amidst the +laurel bushes--parting the boughs, and peering amidst the great green +leaves. + +"What are you looking for?" said Harry at last. + +"The tom-tit's nest," said Fred. + +"Why, it's no use to look there; they always build in holes in the trees +or wall. Last year there was one in that tall vase at the corner of the +low wall; and we used to see the bird go down the neck ever so many +times a day. It was such a snug place, nobody could touch it. I wonder +where that little chap has been building. It must be close by, or he +would not be so fidgety about our being here." + +They all hunted about well, but no nest was to be found; so Harry came +down from his elevated position, and proceeded to share the capful of +cherries that he had picked in addition to those he had thrown down. + +"Well, now, if that isn't droll," said Philip, laughing; "no wonder we +could not find the nest: why, Harry was standing up with his foot over +it. Why, there it is, in the trunk of the cherry-tree. I just saw the +tom-tit fly in." + +And there, sure enough, was the nest right at the bottom of a deep hole +in the tree trunk, the entrance to which was by a hole so small that it +seemed impossible for any bird to pass through it; for to look at the +size of the tom-tit, his bulk appeared to be double the circumference of +the hole; but his downy yielding little feathers gave him an easy +passage through; and, as the boys went up to the tree, out he darted +with a sharp cry, and flew away. + +"There's a hen-bird in the hole, sitting," said Harry, "and he has been +to feed her, I know. Let's try." Saying which, he took a piece of +stick, and began to insert it gently into the hole. + +"Don't hurt it," said Philip. "Don't poke the stick in." + +"Oh! I shan't hurt anything," said Harry brusquely. "Do you think I +don't know what I'm about? I'm only going to push it in a little way to +see if there is a nest, and then I shall--" + +"Ciss-s-s-s-s-s-s-s," said something very sharply from the bottom of the +hole, and back darted Harry, stick and all, as though he had been shot. + +"Why, it's a snake," said Philip. + +"How could a snake get there?" said Harry, looking rather discomposed. + +"There must have been an egg laid in the hole," said Fred; offering, as +he thought, a very clever solution of the difficulty. + +"Well, but how did the egg get there?" said Harry. + +"Why, it was laid there, of course," said Fred. + +"Well, but," said Philip, "if an egg could be laid there, a snake could +have got there; and I don't believe the English snakes could climb up +the bark of a tree; and, besides, if there was one egg there would be +more, for snakes' eggs are all joined together like French rolls at the +baker's shop; and then there would have been a whole lot of snakes in +the hole." + +"Perhaps there is a whole party of them there now," said Fred. "I wish +we could split the tree open. I shan't eat any more cherries; they +smell snaky." + +"Get out!" said Harry; "I don't believe it was a snake at all. I wish +the hole was big enough to get my hand in; I'd soon see what it was." + +"But if it was a snake, it would bite," said Fred, "and poison you." + +"No, it wouldn't," said Harry; "it's only adders that bite and poison; +snakes are quite harmless; Papa says so, and he knows everything." + +"Does he?" said a voice behind the laurels, and Mr Inglis came up to +them, smiling. "And so, Master Hal, you consider that Papa knows +everything, do you? Ah, my boy, when you grow older, I trust that you +will prove studious enough to find out how very ignorant your father is, +and to look upon all he knows in the same way that he does himself, and +that is, as a mere nothing in comparison with what there is to learn +around us. But," he continued, cheerfully, "what is it I am said to +know so much about?" + +"Why, about snakes, Papa. They won't bite, will they?" + +"Oh, yes," said Mr Inglis, "and pretty sharply, too, after their +fashion. I do not suppose that it would pierce your skin; but if you +could occupy the position of poor froggy some day, when a snake has got +hold of him by the hind legs, I think you would find that he could bite. +But what made you talk about snakes?" + +"Why, there's one in this tree, Papa," said Philip; "we put a stick into +the hole, and it did hiss so. Now, you listen." + +Philip placed a piece of wood in the hole again, and in a moment there +came forth the same sharp hiss, and directly Philip darted back in the +same way as his brother had a short time before. + +"There, did you hear that?" said the boys. + +"Oh, yes; I heard the hiss, but it was not a snake; only the noise made +by the female titmouse when sitting upon her nest. It is to scare +intruders away, and you see how effectually it answers the purpose, for +you boys were completely startled, and thought that it was a snake. And +this is very often the case in nature, that helpless birds, animals, and +insects are provided with means of offence or concealment, that in a +great measure balance the helplessness of their nature. But I should +like you lads to read these natural history facts for yourselves, and +then search, during your walks and excursions, for the objects you have +read of in your studies." + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. + +A STUPID ASS. + +Mr Inglis then walked away, and the boys strolled about the garden in +search of something to amuse them until dinner-time. + +Now most people would have been content with taking a chair, and +sitting, book in hand, beneath the shade of one of the trees upon the +lawn. Fred might have done this had he been alone, or Philip would +probably have been likely so to do; but when Harry was in company with +them such a proceeding seemed to be quite out of the question, and so +they wandered about in search of something to take their attention. + +But there was some one watching them all this time, and mentally +growling and worrying himself about the boys being at home. Now this +somebody was none other than old Sam, who was up on a ladder against the +house, nailing in some of the long pendant branches of the roses which +had here and there broken loose, and were trailing down low enough to +catch the dresses of those who passed by. Sam had been grunting and +hammering, and hammering and grunting, and he was not in a very good +temper; for, in looking round and watching the boys, he had missed the +head of the nail he was aiming at, and had given a sufficiently hard rap +to his finger to draw blood; and this was of course put down to the +credit of "them boys;" in fact, they could not have met with more blame +if one of them had taken up the hammer and struck the blow, while the +others had aided and abetted. + +At last Sam saw them all turn down into the flower-garden, and then, for +fear that something or another by which he set store should be handled, +he got off the ladder and began very cautiously to follow them, going +slowly from tree to tree, and trying to steal quietly up; but all Sam's +caution was unnecessary, as the boys were not in mischief, for they were +only going to the field to try and catch Neddy, the donkey, who had been +on the sick list nearly all the time of Fred's visit, and had been +turned out in a field some distance from the house. But now Neddy had +been reported quite well for some days past, so the boys were determined +upon having a ride, so as to do something towards filling up the time +until after tea, when they were to go to the mill-dam bobbing for eels. + +They soon reached the cedar-field, where the cob pony was grazing as +well as the donkey; and as soon as the visitors entered, down went the +pony's head, and up went his heels and tail, and away he galloped as +fast as he could lay his hoofs to the ground, and after him went the +donkey, but only at the rate of about one hundred yards to the pony's +two. + +Now the pony was not wanted, but he must needs begin setting a bad +example to the donkey, telling him as plainly as one animal could tell +another that he did not mean to be caught, and, as "evil communications +corrupt good manners," the donkey took the same whim into his great +rough ash-grey head, and galloped after the pony as hard as he could. +It was of no use to say, "come then," or "coop--coop--coop," for both of +the four-footed beasts seemed to have an idea that they were to race and +tear round the field just as long as they liked, and that they could go +far better without saddle, bridle, or rider than they could with. + +Seeing how much slower Neddy the donkey was than the pony, it was not +very long before he was cut off from following his companion's capers; +but even then he was as far off from being caught as ever, for he dodged +about and spun round, and, at last, when driven into close quarters, he +tucked his tail in between his legs and kept his heels to the party +attacking him, which was his very Irish fashion of facing the enemy. + +"Now, Fred," said Harry at last, "you stand quite still there; Philip, +come in a little closer; and then when I give the word all walk forward +together, and then we must have him. Phew! how hot it is!" + +Harry, having posted his forces in the most suitable manner, then stood +ready with a halter in his hand, knowing from fatigue-bought experience +which way Master Neddy would rush, and meaning this time to try and +lasso the rascal. + +"Now, then," said Harry, "close in." + +The three boys then slowly and cautiously walked towards the donkey, who +was now hemmed up in a corner of the field; and, judging from +appearances, he evidently meant to surrender at discretion. Harry held +the halter all ready to slip over Neddy's head, and in another moment he +would have been captured but for the pony, who, seeing the danger of his +companion, gave a loud neigh and started off full gallop across the +field. + +"Pitty-pat; pitty-pat; pitty-pat," went the pony; and, as soon as Neddy +heard it, down went his head, up went his heels, and away he rushed, and +passed Harry like a shot. But Harry was ready for him, and cleverly +threw his halter over the tiresome brute's head. In a moment it was +drawn tight, and as Harry held on to the other end he was dragged along +by the donkey, until his foot tripping in the long grass, he left go of +the halter, and down he went on all-fours, and then rolled over and over +upon the ground; while away went Neddy full gallop to where the pony +stood, and then the two provoking beasts walked right into the middle of +the little corner pond, and stood in the mud and water, whisking their +tails about, and seeming to enjoy finely the mischief of which they had +been guilty. + +"There's a beast," said Harry, sitting up in the grass, and chewing bits +of strand. "Won't he catch it next time I get on his back. He shall +pay me for tiring me out in this way. I'll give it him." + +"Well, what shall we do?" said Philip; "we can't get at them in the +pond." + +"Can't you drive them out with a long whip?" said Fred. + +This last idea seemed to strike Harry as being feasible, and another +plan popped into his head at the same moment; so, jumping up with a +"won't-be-beaten" sort of an air about him, he appealed to Philip. + +"I say, Phil, old chap, I'm so tired; do go and fetch the whip." + +"What's the good?" said Philip; "that won't catch them." + +"No, but we'll leave the gate open," said his brother, "and drive them +up the field into the stable, and then we can catch them easily enough." + +"Bravo!" said Fred, clapping his hands, but not making any noise from +the fact of having his handkerchief in one, having been wiping his face. + +Away trotted Philip, and soon returned with a long cart-whip; and then +once more the boys went to the bottom of the field, and Harry advanced +with the whip in his hand towards the pond. + +As for Neddy, Harry might have stood at the edge of the water and +cracked the whip until his donkeyship felt disposed to come out, for not +a bit did he care, knowing full well that he was out of reach, and that +even if the thong could have touched him he would not have felt it +through his thick grey coat; and so stock-still he stood, flapping his +great ears, whisking his tail, and lazily winking his eyes. But it was +different with the pony: he was a thin-skinned gentleman, and not so +much of a philosopher as the ass. He, too, had often felt the whip upon +his flanks, and knew the flavour, and, not being so good a judge of +distance as his companion, as soon as the whip gave the first crack he +made a start, and spattered out of the pond, and away up the field +towards the open gate. + +Stock-still stood Neddy. + +"Crack!" went the whip again. + +"Come out," shouted Harry. + +"Poor old fellow, then," said Philip, soothingly. + +"No, don't coax him, Phil," said his brother; "he don't deserve it. +Only let me get at him; that's all." + +For a few moments, however, there did not seem to be a chance of getting +"at him, that's all;" for the donkey stood as stolidly as ever, till the +pony, as he scampered up the field, gave a triumphant neigh, which +roused Neddy, for he gave a frisk and a splash in the water, and then +rushed out; but he did not escape quite scot-free, for Harry managed to +get one crack at him with the thick end of the whip just as he galloped +up the field. + +Harry's manoeuvre proved successful, for they had now only to follow the +donkey up as he went straight into the stable, from whence he was soon +dragged out in triumph, saddled and bridled, and with Philip mounted. + +"Now, then," shouted Harry to his brother, as soon as they returned to +the field, "down to the bottom and back, and then it's Fred's turn." + +But Neddy would not trot; it was of no use to kick him with your heels, +he would only walk, so Philip called out for a stick, and then when +Neddy saw the stick coming he would not walk but would trot, so that +Harry could hardly catch up to him; but when he did, and handed the +weapon to his brother, the donkey no sooner felt the first touch than +down went his head and up went his heels, and off went Philip on to his +back in the grass. + +Neddy would then have started off again, but Harry was too quick for +him, and soon held the rein for his brother to remount. + +"He's too fresh," said Harry. "Never mind; jump up, Phil, and we'll +soon take a little of his nonsense out of him." + +So away Philip trotted down to the bottom and back again, and then Fred +had a turn and stuck on capitally, only when he wanted to turn to the +left and come up the field again, Neddy would turn to the right and go +the other way--an arrangement Fred was obliged to submit to from the +fact of his whole attention being required to sit on tight, without +guiding his steed. + +At last Harry's turn came, and it was some time before he could manage +to mount, for Neddy was very shy of the rough hawthorn stick the lad +held; and so he kept backing and pirouetting until Philip went on the +opposite side with his stick, when the fidgety little scamp suffered +himself to be mounted. + +"Crack," went the stick, and up went Neddy's heels. "Crack--crack-- +crack," went the stick again, and up went Neddy's heels four, five, six +times over. But the donkey had this time met with his match, and, in +spite of his kicking and shuffling, Harry sat him like a hero. 'Tis +true that he was bumped all sorts of ways--right and left--on to the +donkey's neck--on to his crupper, and was several times nearly off, but +never quite; so that at last Neddy gave up in despair, submitted to his +thrashing, and then cantered down the field and back, and afterwards +allowed himself, with a very good grace, to be ridden about as long as +his masters liked; for they had really proved themselves the masters +that day in more senses than one. + +At last Neddy was declared to have done his duty, and was set at liberty +by the stable-door--a good feed of oats being awarded to him as a +recompense for all he had gone through, and then the donkestrians went +in to their mid-day meal, Fred feeling wonderfully improved in his +ability as to riding. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. + +BOBBING AROUND. + +In the afternoon, as they were sitting under a shady tree, eating a +dessert of strawberries, Harry began to wish that it was tea-time, so as +to get started for the mill-dam, about which place his whole +conversation had been since Neddy had been returned to the stable. + +"Oh! I do wish it was time to start," said Harry. "I wonder how many +we shall catch." + +"Oh! not many," said Philip. "We only caught twelve last time." + +"Ah! but then see how it came on to rain, else we could have caught +dozens more." + +"Suppose Dusty Bob does not get the what-d'ye-call-'ems ready!" said +Fred. + +"What! the bobs? Oh! he's sure to have them ready," said Philip. "He +knows that he will get a shilling for making them, so he is sure to be +there, with them all in a flower pot. Isn't he, Harry?" + +"Oh, yes!" said Harry; "he'll have the bobs ready; he dare not do +otherwise, or we should duck him in the mill-pond; shouldn't we, Phil!" + +"What a brag you are, Harry!" said Fred. "What's the good of telling +such fibs as that! Why, you wouldn't touch him at all!" + +"Well, you'll see," said Harry, "if the bobs are not ready." + +They soon had an opportunity of testing whether the bobs were ready or +not, for an early tea was hastily partaken of, and then they set off,-- +Mr and Mrs Inglis having promised to come and meet them, and to help +them carry home the spoils. + +The boys were in too great a hurry to get down to the mill, to take any +notice of the attraction they met upon the road. Harry was compelled to +have one shy at the squirrel that scampered up into the chestnut tree; +but with that exception not a stoppage was made, and in a very short +time they came to the plank over the great ditch--the plank which +replaced the one that broke when it was danced on the day that the +basket of fish was lost after the visit to the fish-traps. This time, +however, it was quietly crossed, and in a few minutes the figure of +Dusty Bob became visible as he leaned against a post outside the mill, +and smoked his pipe. + +"Sarvant, young gentlemen," said Bob, as the boys came up. "'Spected to +ha' seen yow yesterday." + +"Oh, but we have been so busy since the fire, Bob," said Harry, and he +spoke as though he really believed that they had been busy; but, if +asked what they had been busy about, I think it very doubtful whether +Master Harry could have given a satisfactory answer. "Never mind about +that though, now," said Harry; "where are the bobs?" + +"Oh! I've got 'em all right," said Bob; "but I don't see why I couldn't +have a drop o' beer up at t' fire, as well as other folks." + +"Well, why didn't you?" said Harry; "Papa had a whole barrel brought +out." + +"Oh! I dunno," said Bob; "I knows I never got none, and other folks got +lots; and I says to my mate as it warn't fair." + +"Well, but why didn't you have some, Bob?" said Philip; "Papa meant it +for everybody that had been helping." + +"I knows that," said Bob; "but nobody asked me to have none." And then +Bob filled his pipe again, and looked very sulky as he went on smoking, +for it was very evident that his dignity had been much touched over the +beer business. However, he soon seemed to come to the conclusion that +the lads before him were not to blame for his coming short of the +needful refreshment; and, turning the lighted tobacco out of his pipe +into the mill-dam, where it fell with a "ciss," he led the way into the +mill, from whence he produced three light poles and some string, and +from out of a cool damp flower pot three hideous-looking looped up +bunches of worms, each with a leaden weight in the centre. + +"There," said Harry, "I knew he would have them. Hooray, boys! come +on." + +Bob soon tied the bunches, or bobs, of worms strung upon worsted to a +string, fastened to the poles, and then posted each boy in what he +considered an eligible spot on the banks of the deep mill-dam. He took +Fred, as being the novice, under his own especial charge, and began to +instruct him how to proceed. + +"There, yow see," said Bob, "yow lets the bob sink gently down to the +bottom, and, when yow feel it touches, just draw it up a little ways +till the eels sticks their teeth into it, and then pull it gently up +a-top, and then out wi' 'em in a minute." + +All this time Dusty Bob was suiting the action to the word, and showing +Fred how it should be done, waiting all the while till one of the eels +did stick his teeth in, which was in the course of a very few minutes, +when Bob softly raised his bob to the surface, lifted it out quickly, +and a fine eel dropped off into the water again. + +"Never mind," said Bob, "try again; that's the way." + +So this time Fred tried, and let his great bait sink to the bottom, +when, directly after, he felt something go "tug, tug" at it, and then +again, quite sharply. At first he hardly knew what to do, but another +tug made him draw the bait up to the surface, when he distinctly saw an +eel leave it, giving a vicious snatch at the bait as it did so. + +Just then Harry landed a fine fellow, which gave a serpentine sort of a +wriggle, and regained the water in a moment. + +"There, that's the way to do it," said Philip, who at that moment +secured one. "Try again, Harry." + +But Harry was already trying again; and, profiting by past experience, +had succeeded in landing two or three decent-sized eels, one after +another, and secured them all. There was no stopping to bait the hook, +and no disengaging the fish from the bait, for they let go of the +worstedy worm as soon as they were lifted out of the water, or as soon +as they could drag their teeth out of the woolly delicacy; and as to +biting, they seized the bob with the greatest eagerness, for it was +evident that the mill-dam swarmed with the eel tribe, now seeking their +prey upon the warm summer evening--evidently a time when they loved to +leave their muddy abodes. + +"How many have you caught, Fred?" said Philip. + +"Six," said Fred, in a half whisper; for he had one just then at his +bob. + +"Why, where are they then?" said Harry. + +"Oh! I caught them all," said Fred; "but they tumbled in again." + +"There's a goose," said Harry; "why, you did not catch them then. +Here's another, such a big one," he continued, as he landed one nearly +as thick as his wrist. "How many have you got, Phil?" + +"Only four," said Philip, "and such little ones, I shall change places +with somebody. No, I shan't," he continued; "there's a beauty. Why, +that's bigger than yours, Hal." + +"No, it isn't," said Harry, "I'm sure; but look, Fred's got one." + +But Fred had not, for, in spite of the many bites he obtained, not a +fish could he draw out of the water; for without exception they all fell +in again, he not having yet hit upon the knack of landing them, which +should be done with a quick but gentle motion; for the slightest jerk +makes the eel loose its hold. + +"I say, how do you do it?" said Fred, at last, after missing eight or +nine. + +"Do what?" said Dusty Bob, coming out of the mill. + +"Why, catch these nasty slippery things," said Fred. "Every time I try +to get one on the bank, he always drops off too soon, and I lose him." + +"Why, it's easy enew," said Bob, going up to him and taking hold of the +pole. "Just drop the bait in quietly, so, and wait till yow feels 'em +at it, when--there--he's tugging away a good un at it--now look; I jist +draws him up a-top, and then out he comes. There yow see, I can do it +straight." + +And sure enough, Dusty Bob drew a fine silvery-looking eel to the top, +and, with a turn of his wrist, landed it upon the bank. + +Wriggle and twist went the eel--trying to get back into the water, and +to all appearances he would soon have been there; and Dusty Bob, +evidently thinking such would be the case, made an awkward jump at the +wriggling fish, and jumped just upon the wet part of the bank where +Fred's bob had been out before some twenty or thirty times. Up went +Bob's heels, and the boys stared, quite aghast; for with a tremendous +splash, in he went right into the deepest part of the mill-pond; when, +after a few seconds, up he rose, and began to strike out for the shallow +part where he could land; for the bank where he fell off was very steep, +and, for about three feet, staved up with boards. + +As soon as Harry saw that there was no danger, he burst out laughing, +and shouted, "Now, boys, bob away, here's such a whopper," and began to +drop his great bunch of worms just in front of Bob's head, to the +intense disgust of that worthy, and the delight of Philip and Fred; who, +of course, must follow suit, and begin to tease the unfortunate miller +in the same way. But Bob soon scrambled out of the water, looking very +pasty, and dripping all over the bank. He did not stop to speak, but +hurried into his cottage to change his things, while the boys, laughing +over his mishap, returned to their bobbing. + +But the eels did not seem to have approved of the visitor who had been +upon their domains, and, judging from appearances, they had all bade +good-bye to the place, for not another bite could either of the boys get +in the mill-pool; so they had to try in the deep part of the back-water, +where they met with a little better success, and between them succeeded +in capturing about two dozen more; when they found that the mist was +rising heavily from off the water, and various other indications pointed +out that it was time to think of returning homeward. + +The poles were soon placed in a corner of the mill-yard, and the basket +containing the eels being carefully tied down, they next went in search +of Bob; but he was not visible, and his wife came to the door to say +that the young gentlemen might say anything they liked to her. + +The boys placed the right interpretation upon this message, and left a +shilling for Bob, which was received with a curtsey, and then the +fishermen started off with a heavy basket and light hearts; but had not +gone far before they met Mr and Mrs Inglis, who had come in accordance +with their promise. + +The moon was just rising over the trees as they came within sight of the +Grange; while in the north-west, Mr Inglis pointed out a heavy bank of +clouds which every now and then seemed to quiver with the flashes of +sheet lightning that played about it, the evident precursors of a heavy +storm. The night was sultry in the extreme, and almost oppressive in +its stillness; but the boys could pay but little heed to the appearances +of the weather, every thought being taken up with the eels they had +captured, and the splash which Bob made when he went into the mill-dam. + +The appearances of the coming weather that Mr Inglis had pointed out +were, however, not deceitful; for before the boys went to bed that +night, the flashes of lightning became more and more vivid; the thunder, +from muttering at a distance, began to break, as it were, just over the +house; and then down came the rain, almost in a sheet. + +"What a pity!" said Harry, all at once, just as they were going up to +bed. + +"What is a pity?" said Mr Inglis. + +"Why," said Harry, "what a pity all this rain did not come when the fire +was burning." + +When the boys reached their bedroom, the storm raged with such violence +that sleep was out of the question; so they put the candles in one room, +and all three stood at the window to watch the lightning. Every now and +then the whole heavens seemed to be lit up with one vast blaze of light, +which showed the outlines of all the clouds in the most dazzling manner; +then came the deafening peals of thunder, while all around looked of the +most intense darkness; and the rain came splashing down, beating against +the windows, and rushing off the eaves in streams. + +And thus it kept on for about an hour, when the storm seemed to abate, +the lightning coming at longer intervals, and the thunder gradually +becoming more and more distant, till at last it subsided into a low +angry muttering; though the lightning still kept quivering and +flashing--making everything in the bedroom appear with the greatest +distinctness. + +"Well," said Harry at last, "I've had enough storm, and I'm going to +bed; so out you go, Mr Fred, into your own room." + +Mr Fred was too tired and sleepy to enter into any fun that night, so +he sleepily went into his own place; and before the thunder had ceased +muttering in the distance, the boys were all soundly asleep, breathing +heavily the soft cool air--rendered so fresh and pure by the late storm, +and so plainly perceptible in its difference from the heavy oppressive +atmosphere of the early evening. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. + +LOUD SIGHS.--MORE SORROW. + +Fred's visit was now drawing fast to a close, and the boys among +themselves were comparing notes as to how wonderfully swift the days had +glided away. + +"Oh, dear; oh, dear," said Harry, with a sigh; "only think, next week we +shall be back at school, and learning that beastly old Latin again; a +nasty dirty old dead language. It isn't right: if a language is dead, +it ought to be buried. They ought to make a cavibus in terribus, and +bury the old blunderbuss. Shouldn't I like to have smothered old +Valpy!" + +"Ah," said Philip; "Latin isn't half so bad as that old Euclid, with all +its straight lines, and angles, and bother. Heigho! wouldn't it be nice +to be a bird, and not have any lessons to learn! I should like to be an +eagle, to circle up and up towards the sun, and--" + +"Ho--ho--ho!" laughed Harry, who was not at all a poetical young +gentleman; "you wouldn't do for an eagle; if you turned into a bird, +like that chap in `Evenings at Home,' you'd be only an old cocksparrow, +and cry `chizzywick, chizzywick,' all day long." + +Hereupon Philip thought it was his duty to resent this great insult, and +gave chase to Harry, who dodged him about in the field where they were; +and the tormentor, being the more nimble of the two, escaped his +well-merited punishment. + +"Come, I say," said Fred, shouting as loudly as he could, "it's time to +start. The car has gone round to the door." + +This announcement brought Fred's cousins tearing up to the spot where he +stood, and then, going round to the front, they found Mr Inglis with +what few things he required, just giving orders to Sam to go and look +for the boys. + +"Oh! here they are," said Mr Inglis. "Come, lads, jump up; you are +just in time. What would you have said if I had gone without you?" + +"We weren't afraid of that," said Harry; "were we, boys? I know Papa +wouldn't say he'd take us, and then leave us behind." + +They were off once more to the sea-side, but this time for the afternoon +only. The day was a regular scorcher, and the poor horse began to show +symptoms of the heat, in spite of the careful driving of Mr Inglis; and +a regular cloud of flies about his head so teased it, keeping regularly +on at the same pace as the horse, whether a walk or a trot, that Mr +Inglis was at last compelled to stop and let Harry cut a couple of +little elm branches, and fix them in the harness, so that, by their +constant vibration and shaking, they might keep the tiresome insect +pests at a distance. But the travellers soon began to find that they +ought to have boughs secured to their own heads, for the flies, +disappointed of their feast upon the horse, turned their attention to +the party in the dog-cart, and, until they were quite clear of the +wooded part of the country, bothered them terribly. + +The day was so hot that the whole atmosphere seemed to tremble and +quiver, while everything else was motionless. Not a breath of air was +stirring to wave the grass or to ruffle the surface of the great +land-drains, whose waters shone like molten silver; while the road was +powdered into an almost impalpable dust, which rose in clouds as the +horse's hoofs beat and the wheels spun over its arid surface. + +At last, however, as they neared the sea-bank, a soft and cooling breeze +began to fan the travellers' cheeks; the horse tossed his head and +snuffed the air, as though delighted with the grateful sensation it +imparted; and at the end of another quarter of an hour the car wheels +were sinking deep in the dry sandy road which led up to the inn, where +they were going on this occasion to leave the horse, as this afternoon's +trip was only for a quiet ramble by the sea to collect a few stranded +sea-weeds and shells. + +When they reached the shore, they found the tide coming in, while the +sands were as level and smooth on the elevated parts as a table, though, +in the lower, beautifully and regularly traced all over with the little +ripple-marks left by the sea when the tide is going out upon a calm day. +There was no difficulty about gathering specimens, for the gentle waves +landed plenty of beautiful weeds at their feet, while many shells and +prettily-marked pebbles lay about the sands. + +"Oh! how hot," said Harry; "shouldn't I like a dip! I say, Papa, mayn't +we have a bathe?" + +"Oh! yes, Papa, do let us," said Philip; "it would be beautiful. I +should like to go in so much." + +Fred was as anxious to have a dip as his cousins; and as the tide was +coming in, and the water as smooth as possible, Mr Inglis gave his +consent, and stopped upon the sands while the boys all jumped into the +bathing-machine; and the old horse being fastened to it, they were +dragged a short distance into the water, and there left. They soon had +the door opened, and then one at a time made their appearance in the +sea, where they swam about to their hearts' content; of course, Harry +and Philip performing all the swimming, and Fred the splashing. And +delightful was that bathe, for the sun shone so warmly that the water +felt quite tepid, and there was no disposition to shiver or feel cold, +but every little wave that rolled in seemed to be laden with freshness +and vigour. The boys enjoyed their dip so much that Mr Inglis had to +call them out, or they would have stopped in for an hour. But he had +them out when they had been in about twenty minutes; and as soon as they +were dressed, the collecting of specimens went on. At the mouth of one +little inlet they found a dead puffin--a singular little bird that makes +its home on the rocky shores further north, and remarkable for its +curious wedge-shaped bill, looking like the point of an old Roman sword, +and to all appearance a rather formidable weapon. There were plenty of +gulls and kittywakes running about at the edge of the waves, picking up +the little insects and small crustaceans that abounded upon the sands. +Fred here made further acquaintance with the little hermit crab, and saw +how it protected itself, and chose its habitation from amongst the empty +shells upon the beach; and when it had found one that it considered a +good fit, thrust in its little tail, and dwelt there until it grew too +confined for it. + +Numberless were the objects of interest to be seen all along the coast, +and pleasant was the ramble the party enjoyed until it grew towards the +hour for returning, when they walked back to the opening in the +sand-bank, so as to reach the inn and get the horse and car ready for +starting. The tide was now nearly at its height, and a brisk evening +breeze had commenced blowing, so that, as the tide rolled in, the +breakers began to be of a tolerable size. There were several people, +old and young, enjoying an evening bath; and, after ordering the car to +be got ready, Mr Inglis and the boys strolled back and watched the +waves come tumbling in upon the beach or rush up the opening that led +into the great land-drain--an opening that was staked on each side in +the shape of a cage-work tunnel, and ran down for some distance into the +sea on the one hand, and right under the great sea-bank on the other. + +Just as the party were turning to leave the shore, a piercing cry rose +from off the water, and then another, and another, evidently proceeding +from some one in distress. + +A moment's glance served to show Mr Inglis that the cry proceeded from +one of the bathers, and, in company with many more people, he ran down +to the water's edge, when he could see that a boy was battling with the +waves, his head just above water, and crying for help in the most +heartrending tones. People were running about wringing their hands, +while those who had been bathing were huddling on their clothes, and +others, again, had gone to seek for a boat; but it was very plain that, +if assistance were not immediately rendered, the boy would be drowned. + +"Is there no one here that can swim?" said Mr Inglis. "A sovereign to +the man who fetches the poor fellow in." + +But only one person came forward, and that was Harry, who began to strip +off his jacket and shoes ready for the plunge. + +"Back! you foolish boy; you have not strength," said Mr Inglis; and +then, without waiting to make a further appeal for aid, he stripped off +his coat, and dashing through the waves was soon swimming towards where +the boy was still shrieking loudly, but in a fainter tone, for help; for +every now and then the waves washed over his head, which seemed to get +lower in the water every moment. + +Mr Inglis was a powerful swimmer, and clove swiftly through the water +in spite of his clothes, which clung to him and bore him down. In a +very short space he was by the side of the drowning boy, who clutched at +him, and would have no doubt put him in great peril but for an effort +which he made to get behind. He then grasped the boy by the hair, and +turned to swim ashore; but to his horror he found that the poor fellow +was caught in some way in the piles of the outlet, and, in spite of +every effort, Mr Inglis could not set him free: he essayed to dive, but +the tide ran so strongly that he was unable to effect his object; he +dragged the poor fellow backwards and forwards, and tried to reach +beneath the waves at the obstruction, but without success; and, as a +last resource, tried to keep the poor boy's head above water until +assistance arrived; but this even he found impossible, for the tide had +so risen that it now covered him completely with every wave that washed +in. Mr Inglis made one more desperate effort to free the poor fellow, +but without success; and then, feeling his power failing, he turned to +reach the shore, just as Harry swam up to beg of him to come back, for +he was fearful lest his father should be too fatigued to return. And it +was time he did return, for it required all his strength to reach the +shore, where he arrived just as a boat was launched, and four men put +off to try and save the poor boy. + +Mr Inglis and Harry hurried into the inn, where they borrowed dry +clothes, and when dressed they heard the mournful news that the body had +not been recovered, for the men could not even find the place from the +fact of the rapid rise of the tide. But Mr Inglis felt now how +hopeless was the case, even if the poor lad's remains were found; and +heart-sick, he hurried down to the car, and drove rapidly off homewards, +the sad incident they had witnessed having deeply impressed them all, +and brought strongly to their recollection the misfortune that so nearly +fell upon their own home but a short time back. + +The journey was soon performed, and in almost perfect silence; for, in +addition to the natural fatigue felt by the party, the past adventure +hung like a cloud over their spirits till they reached the rose-hung +porch just in the dusk of evening. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. + +GOOD-BYE. + +At last the morning dawned that was to be Fred's last at Hollowdell +Grange, and sadly and gloomily he had proceeded overnight to pack up his +things in the box he had brought down with him, merely leaving out such +articles as were required for immediate use. A month had slipped away +so swiftly, that it seemed almost impossible that such a space could +have elapsed since that hot, breathless day, when, so new and strange, +he had met his cousins upon the platform, after asking Jem Barnes, the +porter, to direct him to his uncle's house. So strange, and so rough +and countryfied everything had appeared; and so low, dejected, and tired +had he felt when he first left the train; how he had wished himself back +in town! And now, how different he felt; he was as low-spirited as when +he first came down, but it was with the idea of going away. All those +upon whom he had at first looked with distant eyes, now seemed so dear +to him. There were his uncle and aunt; his cousins; there was Old Sam; +Dusty Bob, the maids; Dick, the dog; and even the raven and parrot: he +was mournful at parting with all of them, and would have given anything +to have stayed, if only for another day. And now he stood in his little +bedroom, looking around it, almost with tears in his eyes, as he slowly +dressed himself, and placed the remainder of his things in his box. + +He had just finished, and was sitting moodily upon the box-lid, when +Harry and Philip entered the room, both looking as dull and miserable as +himself. + +"Oh! dear," said Harry, "what a thing it is that holidays will go so +jolly fast, and work-days so horribly slow! It ain't fair. Don't I +wish that they were all to come over again; there's lots of things we +have not done yet, and lots of places where we ought to have gone." + +"When are you coming down again, Fred?" said Philip. + +"I don't know," said Fred; "I don't want to go away. I should like to +see Papa and Mamma, but I'd rather they came down here. I shall never +never like old bricks-and-mortary London again. It will be so smoky, +and noisy, and nasty, and miserable. Oh! I do wish I could stop." + +"But you used to say that you could not think how people could live in +the country, and would not believe that we could find plenty of fun down +here," said Harry. + +Fred would not hear this last remark, but sat moodily upon his box till +breakfast time; and his cousins stayed with him--Harry all the time +cutting viciously at a bit of stick with his keen-edged knife, and +strewing the bedroom carpet with chips. The sun shone brighter, the sky +looked more blue, and the trees greener than ever; but the boys could +not enjoy that glorious morning; there was no elasticity of spirit, no +bounding out into the garden; no teasing of poor old Sam; no race round +the cedar-field before breakfast, for Fred sat on his box, gloomy and +out of heart, Philip sat with his legs stretched out and his hands in +his pockets, and Harry sat and carved away at his stick, until he was +obliged to get up,--which he did with a sigh,--and go down stairs to get +a fresh piece of wood. + +Just then the breakfast bell rang, and Mary walked along the passage +with the hot cake and eggs; but no one ran against her, for the boys +tidied slowly into the room, and took their places at the table in the +most dejected way imaginable. Fred could not eat; Philip could not eat; +Harry could; but he ate viciously, and in a tigerish manner, and smashed +in the top of his egg as though it had been the head of the +engine-driver who was to take Fred up to London; while as for coffee, he +kept asking for cups until Mrs Inglis refused to give him any more, +when the wretched boy consoled himself with another wedge of cake. + +"Come, boys; come, boys," said Mr Inglis at last; "this will never do; +partings must follow meetings, and all holidays must have an end. I am +sorry that your cousin must leave you; but I feel glad to see that he +leaves us with regret, for that seems to say that he has enjoyed his +trip. Is it not so, Fred? You have enjoyed your visit, I hope?" + +"Oh! so much, Uncle," said Fred; "only it has been such a short one, and +it makes me so cross to think that I didn't want to come." + +Mr Inglis smiled, and said, "But you will want to come another time, I +hope?" + +"Oh! may I? may I come again?" burst out Fred, with eyes sparkling, and +half rising from his chair. + +"I shall be only too happy to see you again, my boy; but what say Harry +and Philip. Have they asked you to come again?" + +"We did not ask him," said Philip; "but Fred knows we want him to come +again." + +"I don't want him to go now," said Harry, with his mouth full of cake. +"Do, Papa, write and ask for another week's holiday for him!" + +"But you go back to school yourselves the day after to-morrow," said Mr +Inglis; "and what would you do then? No, my boys, depend upon it the +real secret of enjoyment is to leave off when you have had enough; and +nothing is more surfeiting, more cloying, than too much pleasure. Fred +must come down again; and I hope the next time he visits us we shall not +nearly have him drowned. I fear that he will take a sad report of us +all back with him to town." + +Fred was very anxious to go away good friends with everybody, and would +have liked very much to have shaken hands with Mr Jones, Bill Jenkins, +and the Stapleses; but this could not very well be managed, for Mr +Jones had left for the sea-side, and Bill Jenkins had gone to a +situation. However, Fred bade farewell to everybody he could think of, +and left messages for those he could not see; and at last the time of +starting arrived, and Old Sam brought the pony and chaise round to the +door. + +The box was lifted in; and the little hamper filled with fruit, and the +large bandbox full of curiosities that Fred had collected, all found a +place by the departing visitor. The morning was brighter than ever, and +everything around him looked so fresh and lovely, that a great sob would +keep trying to get up into poor Fred's throat to make a noise, and the +efforts he made to keep it down quite upset him. He gave such a longing +farewell look up at the front of the house, and round at the garden, +then kissed Mrs Inglis, and shook hands with Sam, who returned the +grasp warmly, and said in a whisper about the greatest thing he could +say, and that was that he wished he "warn't a-going." + +Harry and Philip were in the dickey of the four-wheel chaise, both +sitting in very uncomfortable positions on account of Fred's luggage; +but I very much doubt whether they ever thought of their position, so +engrossed were they with the _one_ sole idea--that Fred was going, and +the holidays were over. But Mr Inglis had now taken the reins from +Sam, and had mounted to his seat; so that nothing remained but for Fred +to follow his example, for the train would soon be due at the station-- +though the boys were rather in hopes that they would be too late, and so +secure another day; but Mr Inglis knew what uneasiness this would cause +to friends in town, so he prepared to start at once. + +Fred put one foot on the step, and was just going to wave his adieu, +when a sudden thought seemed to strike him, and leaping down, he rushed +round by the shrubbery in the direction of the stable-yard and was out +of sight in a moment. But before any one could surmise where he had +gone, he reappeared, and a loud rattling of chain, and the barking of +Dick, told that he had been to say good-bye to the dog. Fred was in his +place in a moment; Sam let go of the pony's head; Mrs Inglis waved her +hand from the porch; and Cook and Mary shook their aprons from one of +the upstairs windows; the pony darted forward, the wheels spun round, +and Fred felt that indeed his holiday was ended. But the bright day and +the quick motion through the air served in some degree to raise the +spirits of all three boys, so that, by the time they reached the +railway, the excitement and bustle of hurrying Fred off gave them no +time to think of sorrow; for the train came shrieking and grinding into +the station; Jem Barnes was running about shouting "'ll'dell," +"'ll'dell", "'ll'dell," as loudly as he could, but not a passenger +responded; though a stranger would have been sadly puzzled to know what +he meant. Then there was the banging of a door; the ringing of a bell; +a shrill chirruping whistle; and then "puff-puff", "pant-pant," the +train glided slowly past the faces of Mr Inglis, Harry, and Philip; +then faster and faster past the various objects familiar to the young +traveller; and then again faster and faster still, till at last all grew +stranger and stranger, and Fred Morris sank back in his seat, thought +over the events of the past month, and began to thoroughly realise the +truth that he had finished his visit to Hollowdell Grange. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Hollowdell Grange, by George Manville Fenn + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOLLOWDELL GRANGE *** + +***** This file should be named 24918.txt or 24918.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/1/24918/ + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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