WEST OF THE ADUR 225 



occasionally visited by day. And there the coin was 

 found, stuck edge-ways between the wooden floor and 

 side of the cage, and in a moment, at a loud cry of joy 

 from the finder, the tears and lamentations of the 

 whole house were turned to laughter and happiness. 



There is an abundance of wild fruit to attract 

 fruit-eating birds to the downs in autumn. Through- 

 out the range, including the high treeless South Downs, 

 the bramble flourishes greatly among the furze on the 

 slopes, and in the combes and valleys ; and from July 

 to the end of September the bushes are covered with 

 clusters of the beautiful blue-black and crimson em- 

 bossed berries for every hand and beak to pluck. The 

 hands are few indeed except in the vicinity of Brighton 

 —a pleasant place " for a Wen," as Cobbett said of it, 

 but too populous now, and no longer pleasant to those 

 who love to look upon an unsullied nature. On a 

 blazing August day I have seen two miles of dusty 

 road running inland from the town sprinkled with a 

 straggling procession of poor children, many of them 

 too small and feeble for such an adventure — children 

 from the slums and mean streets of the overgrown 

 Islington-by-the-Sea ; a long straggling column of 

 ragamuflins out on a raiding expedition to the distant 

 brambly downs, each carrying a bag, or basket, or mug, 

 or tin pail, or old tea-kettle, or some other kitchen 

 utensil, in which to store the juicy loot. Away from 

 Brighton, outside of its smoke-cloud, and out of sight 

 of its people, big and little, creeping like black ants 



