THE LOVE-CHILD. 663 



heard us, and in a few moments our project, so far as regarded Agnes, 

 was utterly annihilated. Neither of them would, for an instant, en- 

 tertain it. Agnes was lugged home, shrieking, by Dolly ; and Blue 

 Peter promised to hide me under a hen-coop in his own cottage, 

 during the Sabbath, and put me far and free on the road to Caddis- 

 combe long before the sun rose on Monday morning ; for he thought 

 that I could not do better than try my luck with Lavolta. My 

 grandmother, he said, was ruined, out and out; for not only did Sir 

 Simon sacrifice Sin, but the ferocious old woman had most severely 

 thrashed Squire Patch. 



On hearing this, I would on no account trust myself, for a whole 

 day, to the protection of Blue Peter's hen-coop, but determined to 

 get away at once threatening the poacher that I would bite him if 

 he attempted to prevent me. Peter took this very good-humouredly, 

 and offering me his back, said he would carry me a clear mile on my 

 road. Pocketing my provisions, and taking the ribbon of Agnes from 

 the deserted bush-magpie's nest, where I had deposited it I had 

 not thought of it while the young darling was present I mounted 

 my friend's back, and away we went. 



We had scarcely gone a quarter of a mile, when he pulled up 

 under a broad oak. The sky above us was still, in patches, blue and 

 bright ; but the spray and budding foliage of the trees made our 

 path occasionally gloomy. Beneath the oak we were in perfect 

 shade. Casting his recondite eye upwards, he said that there were 

 three pheasants at perch on a lofty slender branch, which would not 

 bear him. " They're craning out their necks," quoth he ; " steal up 

 and twist 'em. Mind me they be wide awake, but bothered be- 

 tween the lights." I moved, as an amendment, that I should take 

 up three pebbles, and hit them one by one off the roost. We were, 

 however, walking on a bed of thick elastic moss, and Blue Peter, 

 partially falling in with my views, in the absence of pebbles, fur- 

 nished me with a few penny pieces. I got up the oak with ease, and 

 when upon a level with the birds they had not yet tucked their heads 

 under their wings I placed three of my monetary missiles, one upon 

 the other, between my forefinger and thumb, and carefully, but with 

 all my strength, let go. There were three of them, but I only hit 

 one: down he fell it was a splendid cock like lead; the others 

 dashed up into the light and disappeared. 



Blue Peter was pleased, and gave me sixpence. Soon after we 

 parted ; and being excessively tired, I crept into the hollow of a tree 

 that had fallen, and enjoyed a sound repose. When I awoke it was 

 past mid-day ; but this fact it took me an hour's labour to ascertain. 

 I had crept in easily enough, but I found it a matter ot appalling dif- 

 ficulty to retrograde. At one time, I felt all but certain that my bed 

 would prove my coffin. The worst of my position was, that although 

 faint with hunger and exertion, I could not get at the fried potatoes, 

 the bread, and the cheese in my pockets both my hands being unfor- 

 tunately above my head. At last, by an accidental tortuous exertion, 

 I emancipated myself; and after breakfasting by the side of a pond, 

 from which, as I sate silently, two or three thrushes came for mud to 

 plaster the interior of their nests, I went on my way. 



