The Keeper of the Spring-House 43 



He took possession without so much as, by 

 your leave, taking the liberty of an old friend, 

 for he and the man had known each other all 

 their lives and what could be more natural, now 

 that the man had a big house of his own, than 

 his building a cheap summer affair for a long- 

 time friend? Anyway the man never questioned 

 his ownership, and how the Kingfisher hated the 

 small boy who did. If he had any system of 

 Theology, he must have classified all boys as the 

 devil's imps from the bottomless pit. They in- 

 vaded twice a day, before nine in the morning 

 and shortly after four in the afternoon, his house, 

 and actually attacked the keeper assaulting him 

 with volleys of stones. He shrieked his hatred 

 and impotent rage at them and retreated, routed 

 by an army of devils; but if they had all been of 

 his size, he would have watched his chance and 

 captured them, one by one, and tearing them limb 

 from limb, fed them to his own nestlings. 



He did not hate the man, and indeed he had no 

 reason to, for neither he nor any of his family 

 had ever received anything but kindness at his 

 hands. To be sure, there was a time, when he 

 had been a boy, and came very near acting like 

 all boys ; but in a way he had never been young, 

 if thoughtlessness is the universal badge of youth 

 -for even his boyish pranks had been seasoned 

 with a consideration for the rights of living 



