MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 



85 



rascal leave his house and go off towards the town ; then, leaving a 

 companion perched on the high bank which overlooked the river, 

 to keep watch and hollo "■* Caver' if anything went wrong, I 

 slipped through the mill, and soon was busily engaged in filling my 

 cap with eggs. It was nearly full when I heard " Cave " repeated 

 many times, and hurrying back I 

 met the Miller on his threshold. 

 The fellow could not have been far 

 removed from a savage animal, 

 for directly he saw me coming he 

 seemed to go stark staring mad, 

 working his arms about like a 

 windmill, and bellowing like a bull. 

 I sprang into the air, and alighted 

 on his chest, sending him over 

 on his back, and then trium- 

 phantly sat on top of him, whilst 

 he, like Proteus in the grasp of 

 Aristaeus, tried every artifice to 



get free. He grabbed my cap to get my number, so he thought, but I 

 had become too old a bird for that, and I hammered his fingers with 

 my fists until he let it go ; then, springing to my feet, I dashed 

 away. Alas, without my spoils, for all the eggs were smashed. 



* Beware ! ! 



THE MOORHEN. 



