12 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



another hamlet, far different in its aspect from the busy bustling 

 place we had left some five miles behind* 



There were some twenty houses, with two large mills of solid 

 masonry ; but of these not one building was now tenanted ; the 

 roof- trees broken, the doors and shutters either torn from their 

 hinges, or flapping wildly to and fro ; the mill wheels cumber- 

 ing the stream with masses of decaying timber, and the whole 

 presenting a most desolate and mournful aspect. 



"Its story is soon told," Harry said, catching my inquiring 

 glance " a speculating, clever New York merchant a water- 

 power a failure and a consequent desertion of the project ; 

 but we must find a birth among the ruins !" 



And as he spoke, turning a little off the road, he pulled up 

 on the green sward ; " there's an old stable here that has a 

 manger in it yet ! Now, Tim, look sharp !" 



And in a twinkling the horses were loosed from the wagon, 

 the harness taken off and hanging on the corners of the ruined 

 hovels, and Tim hissing and rubbing away at the gray horse, 

 while Harry did like duty on the chestnut, in a style that would 

 have done no shame to Melton Mowbray ! 



" Come, Frank, make yourself useful ! Get out the round of 

 beef, and all the rest of the provant it's on the rack behind ; 

 you'll find all right there. Spread our table-cloth on that flat 

 stone by the waterfall, under the willow ; clap a couple of bot- 

 tles of the Baron's champagne into the pool there underneath 

 the fall ; let's see whether your Indian campaigning has taught 

 you anything worth knowing !" 



To work 1 went at once, and by the time I had got through 

 " Come, Tim,'' I heard him say, " I've got the rough dirt off 

 this fellow, you must polish him, while I take a wash, and get a 

 bit of dinner. Holloa ! Frank, are you ready 1" 



And he came bounding down to the water's edge, with his 

 Newmarket coat in hand, and sleeves rolled up to the elbows, 

 plunged his face into the cool stream, and took a good wash of 

 his soiled hands in the same natural basin. Five minutes after- 

 ward we were employed most pleasantly with the spiced beef, 

 white biscuit, and good wine, which came out of the waterfall as 

 cool as Gunter could have made it with all his icing. When we 

 had pretty well got through, and were engaged with our che- 

 roots, up came Tim Matlock. 



" 1' horses have got through wi' t' corn they have fed rare- 



