A GARDEN DIARY 117 



this creature, dragging after it a stick with some- 

 thing red tied to it, which I entirely failed to 

 distinguish as having been even intended for a 

 flag. Either it stumbled, or from sheer force 

 of circumstances simply sat down in the middle 

 of the road, right in front of me. I was de- 

 layed an instant, and in that instant out flew 

 its mother, and plucked it to its feet again, with 

 a sound maternal smack. 



"There ain't no sense in yer being run over, 

 is there, ye little fule, not if Ladysmith is re- 

 lieved ! " 



" Ladysmith ! " I was upon the two of them 

 in an instant, and had seized the bigger one by 

 the arm, though she was not an acquaintance of 

 mine. 



" What did you say ? Is Ladysmith relieved ? " 



" Lor bless you ma'am, don't you know ? Why 

 hours and hours ago! We heard of it a little 

 afore eleven we did ! " 



" But are you certain ? Is there no mistake 

 this time ? " 



" Mistake ? Bless you, no ma'am, there ain't 

 no mistake ! Why it were stuck up at the office 

 by Mr. Smith hisself, just gone quarter to the 

 hour. I was a-coming along with my husband's 

 second breakfast, for he's working now for 

 Mr. Bellew at the Mills. So as I was passing 

 close to the office ' Whatever is all this about,' 

 thinks I, for there was eight or ten people 



