II THE ENCLOSURE 31 



search about and watch the beetles in order to find 

 such a ball. Those with no maggot would not 

 count. To stimulate the children by a fabulous 

 sum which would henceforward secure to me the 

 time hitherto devoted to some farthing's worth of 

 lead, I promised a franc, a lovely new coin worth 

 twenty halfpennies, for each inhabited ball. At the 

 mention of this sum eyes opened wide with delight- 

 ful naivete. I had quite upset their ideas on the 

 subject of money by naming this exorbitant price 

 as the value of a piece of dirt. Then, to show I was 

 in good earnest, I distributed some halfpence to 

 clinch the bargain. The following week at the same 

 day and hour I was to appear at the same place and 

 faithfully perform the conditions of our compact 

 towards all who should have made the precious 

 discovery. Having thoroughly posted up all the 

 party, I dismissed the children. " He really means 

 it ! " they said as they went away ; " he really means 

 it ! If we could only get one apiece ! " and with 

 hearts swelling with sweet hope, they clinked their 

 pence in the hollow of the hand. The flattened 

 bullets were forgotten. I saw the children scatter 

 over the plain and hunt about. 



On the appointed day the week after I returned 

 to the tableland confident of success. My young 

 helpers would no doubt have mentioned this lucra- 

 tive trade in beetle-balls to their comrades and 

 shown their handsels to convince the incredulous. 

 Accordingly I found a larger party assembled than 

 the first time. On seeing me they ran up, but there 

 was no eagerness, no shout of joy. I saw that 

 things had gone ill. Many times on coming out of 



