SEARCH FOR BUSTARDS' EGGS. 233 



" All right," replied Dick cheerfully. 



The cottages lay at some little distance apart, and they 

 visited them all in turn, but with the like ill success. Then, as 

 they were thinking of giving it up as a bad job, they espied 

 another small cottage in a little hollow, by a well. 



" Let us try this, for the last one," said Frank. 



"Very well/' said Jimmy " but pray, don't ask for any more 

 to drink. I have the best intentions in the world, but 1 really 

 cannot find room for any more." 



Beside the cottage was a silvery-haired old man, mending a 

 broken paling. Frank went straight at it this time. 



" Good morning/' 



" Good morning, sir," replied the man, touching his hat. 



" Have you ever seen any bustards' eggs ? " 



" Yes, sir, I have two in the house. Would you like to see 

 them ? " 



" We should." 



" Then step in, sirs. I can give 'ee a glass of good nettle 

 beer." 



Jimmy groaned inwardly at the mention of the beer, but the 

 sight of the eggs upheld him. 



" Here they be, sir," said the old man. taking down two 

 brown eggs with rusty spots on them, off the chimney-piece. 

 " I took them myself out of the nest in yon fen when I was 

 a lad." 



" Will you sell them ? " 



"Ay, sure. It be a wonder how they come not to be 

 broken, for I have taken no particular heed of them." 



" What will you take for them ? " 



" What you likes to give, sir." 



" I would rather you would fix your own price." 



" Well, then, if you give me a shilling, I shall be fain." . 



" No, no, they are worth more than a shilling. We cannot 

 afford to give you what you would get in London for them, 

 and it is only fair to tell you so, bnt we will give you half-a- 

 crown apiece for them." 



" I shall be very glad to have that much for them, sir, if you 

 think they are worth it to you." 



So the bargain was concluded, and the boys became the 

 happy possessors of these rare eggs. 



I have just been reading, in the Field*, very interesting 



